Located on the 29th floor of a 1960s Park Avenue office tower, the New York City home of the Cofra Group and its Good Energies venture capital company—an investor in such renewable energy enterprises as Sage Electrochromics—is proof that this Switzerland-based corporation takes its business to heart.
The project, which has LEED-CI (Commercial Interiors) Gold certification, was spearheaded by architect Pat Sapinsley, AIA, a Good Energies senior associate with her finger on the pulse of energy-efficient and sustainable practices. Hoping to demonstrate the values suggested by the firm’s motto, “People, Planet, Profit,” Sapinsley worked with Perkins+Will director of interiors Joan Blumenfeld, FAIA, and project designer Steven South. The architects gutted the 22,500-square-foot space with the intent of using daylight as the primary means of illumination. Consistent with the green directive, they saved 75 percent of the construction debris for recycling, and replaced as many of the traditional building materials as possible with earth- and people-friendly alternatives: FSC-certified wood; linoleum; recycled polyester fabric panels; denim insulation; carpeting with low-VOC adhesive; low-flow toilets and faucets; and Energy Star–compliant electrical and mechanical equipment, office gear, and kitchen appliances. Daylighting is the primary player in the daily reduction of energy consumption—which, at .76 watts per square foot, is 24 percent better than code.
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