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Over seven hundred
individuals gathered in Atlanta, Georgia in April to
attend the fifth annual EnvironDesign conference and to
learn about the latest visionary work related to
environmental stewardship.
William A. McDonough, FAIA,
and Michael Braungart, founders and principals of
McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, set the tone
through their inspirational keynote address, "Cradle to
Cradle: The Blueprint of the Next Industrial
Revolution."
They envision a
transformation of the environmental movement from trying
to minimize waste to rethinking entire systems, and thus
eliminating waste altogether. They would rather be
"eco-effective" than "eco-efficient."
They are currently working
with a variety of industries, from textile to
automotive, to transform corporate business models.
Working only toward an efficiency that is "less bad,"
they argue, industry will never get to the point of
having a positive effect on the planet.
Using the inherent
optimism of the designer, they propose a new model. The
eco-effective agenda establishes ties between ecology,
equity, and economics as represented in a triangular
diagram.
The large triangle
represents a series of questions to be posed when trying
to achieve sustainable design. The smaller triangles
represent individual questions such as, under ecology,
"does waste equal food?" Within economics, "can we make
and sell this at a profit?"
In the master plan for the
Ford Plant at Rouge River, Michigan, McDonough helped
envision a greener future for the site, which bears the
scars of the first industrial revolution. With
stormwater mitigation, constructed wetlands, and green
roofs, the site will once again be a place of life.
This design also makes
economic sense. Tim O'Brien, director of the
environmental quality office at Ford Motor Company,
noted that this $13 million investment in stormwater
management will save the company $50 million in water
quality compliance fees.
The strategy of maximizing
instead of reducing was also important to McDonough in
his design for the Gap headquarters. By maximizing
daylight and fresh air, he was able to create a healthy
and enjoyable workplace, which also happens to use much
less energy than a more "conventional" office building.
He laughed at a Wall
Street Journal headline, referring to this building,
Windows That Open Are the Latest Office Amenity.
What kind of place have we come to, he asked, that
allowing fresh air into our workplace is worthy of
front-page news?
Greenpeace Headquarters
Kendall P. Wilson, AIA,
principal of Envision Design, and Bill Richardson,
national administration coordinator for Greenpeace,
presented a case study of the design, construction, and
post-occupancy evaluation of the Greenpeace USA
Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The goal was to project an
image of a unique, nontraditional office space, that
would reflect the Greenpeace mission. Bicycle
accessibility and proximity to other groups and public
transportation were client requirements.
A group of five renovated
turn-of-the-last-century masonry buildings served as the
site. Reusing existing buildings fits within the
criteria established by the project team.
The architects established
an open plan, maximizing worker access to daylight and
reducing the needed materials from those in a more
traditional office plan. They used the energy of the sun
in the most direct ways: emphasizing daylight, fitting
electric lights with sensors and automatic dimmers, and
placing photovoltaic panels and water heating panels on
the roof.
They made great efforts to
eliminate polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from the building,
down to the wiring. Alternatives to PVC for building
materials can now be found on the Greenpeace Web site.
The architects also
specified low volatile-organic-compound (VOC) adhesives
and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood.
They used formaldehyde-free wheatboard and particleboard
in the doors and built-in furniture. They chose
countertops, tiles, and flooring with high-recycled
content.
In the office reception
area, a quote from Gandhi is inscribed on a glass panel:
"If you want to change the world, be that change."
Greenpeace is staying true to their mission in the
construction of their new office.
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