GreenGuard

GreenGuard

MKDA Fits Out New Green Design Studio at 902 Broadway

Fri

Apr

In preparation for its 50th anniversary, architecture and interior design firm MKDA recently completed a move into new green office space at 902 Broadway in the Flatiron District; the firm had previously been located at 11 East 26th Street for nearly 20 years. The office build out was executed pursuant to the LEED system, though it's unclear whether MKDA is seeking a formal rating from USGBC. The offices are replete with FSC-certified zebra wood and GREENGUARD-certified upholstery; other green features include extensive natural daylighting and occupancy sensors in each office. Locally sourced building materials include Acme workstation partitions (which are manufactured in Brooklyn.) The firm designed its main design studio to be like a loft; the space includes a white concrete slab ceiling with pendant light fixtures and gray Interface carpet tiles. The lobby (as you can see in the images below) echoes a similar design intent with white stone flooring and walls but also invites visitors into the space with red seating.

Lululemon Athletica & Kenneth Park Architect Open Green Outlet in SoHo

Fri

Feb

by Stephen Del Percio

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Even as we continue to monitor the chaos in the green commercial real estate market, there is still some pretty neat sustainable stuff happening in the local commercial interiors space. Lululemon Athletica, the Vancouver-based activewear retailer, recently opened its fourth store here in Manhattan at 481 Broadway in SoHo (between Grand and Broome). Designed by Kenneth Park Architect, the fitout of the 2670-square-foot store incorporated a variety of green design features consonant with Lulemon's mission statement: "creating components for people to live a longer, healthier, more fun life."

Kimball Office Showroom Earns LEED-CI Certified Rating at 215 Park Avenue

Wed

Jun

by Stephen Del Percio

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Kimball Office has received New York City's latest LEED for Commercial Interiors ("LEED-CI") rating, copping the Certified designation from USGBC. Its 12,000-square-foot showroom at 215 Park Avenue South was designed in cooperation with TVS Interiors. The showroom officially opened back in January and features a number of sustainable design features ranging from 75 percent recycled construction debris to low-VOC, local, and recycled-content materials, low-flow plumbing, and energy-efficient appliances. The space is also furnished with GREENGUARD-certified Kimball Office seating and systems furniture. The design of the showroom promotes natural light with an open floor plan, glass walls, and high ceilings.

Monday LEEDoff: HSBC’s Gold Headquarters Tower in Mexico City

Mon

Jan

by Stephen Del Percio

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Checking in at #8 on the CoStar Group’s list of the top ten green real estate stories of 2007 was the commitment that a number of banks demonstrated to sustainable building and operations during the course of last year. When we presented the list to you earlier this month, gbNYC noted the green efforts of a number of banks here in the New York City area, including JPMorganChase, PNC Bank, and Bank of America. Not to be outdone, HSBC Bank announced last week that its Headquarters Tower on the Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City has earned the first LEED Gold rating in Latin America. The 400,000-square-foot, twenty-four-story project earned a 2007 National Interiors Award and top honors for Corporate Interior Design from the Mexican Interior Design Association. HSBC purchased the building back in 2002 after merging with a local Mexico City bank called Bital.