The US Green Building Council stamped gold the offices of the West Michigan Environmental Action Council on June 29; possibly making it the first double gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified property in the country.
The USGBC offers a suit of LEED ratings for various types of projects, all nationally recognized standards for sustainable building practices. The WMEAC offices earned gold for a new type of LEED award that evaluates commercial interior designs.
That makes double gold for WMEAC and the East Hills Center which houses the council along with two other businesses. The center, located at the intersection of Lake Drive, Diamond and Cherry streets, earned the LEED “core and shell” gold rating during its 2004 erection.
Gayle DeBruyn of Lake Affect Design Studio, the interior design firm hired by Bazzani Associates on the project, said the organizations are still verifying the claim as first with double gold. “But we are certainly one of the first in the nation,” she added.
Essential to earning LEED certification for interior design is the choice in furniture and flooring. Local manufacturing (anything within 500 square miles of the development) matters; a test easily passed by any project done in Grand Rapids.
Steelcase, Herman Miller and other local furniture makers contributed to the project, offering refurbished equipment and new articles that use materials sparingly. Wood flooring was GREENGUARD certified, as well.
The 28,000 square foot office features an open floor format designed to be both a work space and an informational center. Also included are: a kitchen, conference room, small library, executive director’s office, storage and a bathroom. Visitors are encouraged to view WMEAC’s offices and the center’s green rooftop.
Source: Gayle DeBruyn, Lake Affect Design Studio
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