Interiors of office buildings see a lot of action. They are churned, burned and turned over to new tenants regularly. It is an area that can have a big and continual environmental impact.
From choosing smaller real estate to reconfiguring data and power without dumping toxic data cable, the office interior has the opportunity to provide not only environmental benefits, but economical benefits too. The key is a flexible interior.
From the bottom up: access floors (low-profile for wiring in existing buildings or taller to accommodate HVAC and wiring in new buildings), plug and play wiring, moveable floor-to-ceiling walls, modular furniture, two-component lighting, day-lighting and flat-panel monitors all come together to create the solution to the cycle of construction, demolition, disposal, construction, demolition
An access floor offers an excellent base for a sustainable office space. Plug and play data and power in a universal zone layout do two things. One, it allows you to reconfigure without cutting cable. And two, you rarely have to bring in specialized trades when reconfiguring the space.
Mark Harrigan, MEDes (candidate)
BSc—Environmental Specialist
SMED International
Mark Harrigan is currently finishing his Master’s Degree in Environmental Design at the University of Calgary specializing in Sustainable Building Development and Healthy Indoor Environments. Mark also has a B.Sc. in Biomechanics from the University of Calgary. He is the Ergonomics and Environmental Specialist at SMED International and is responsible for areas of sustainable development and indoor environmental quality. Mark has been SMED’s representative at the USGBC since 2001 and is a LEED Accredited Professional. He is actively working on a number of LEED projects including three that are registered as part of the LEED CI Pilot Program.
