The Green Building Initiative (GBI) today announced the launch of a new certification program specific to design of interiors of commercial and institutional buildings, according to GBI president Jerry Yudelson.
The new program, Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors, focuses exclusively on the sustainable design and construction of interior spaces in non-residential buildings and can be pursued by both building owners and individual lessees of commercial spaces. When pursuing Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors certification, tenants can focus on both designing new and/or improving their existing interior space to Green Globes standards without the need to certify an entire building.
“One of the aspects that makes Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors so versatile–and practical–is that it enables tenants to certify the specific environmental and sustainability attributes of the space they lease,” Yudelson said. “Other certifications include aspects of the entire building and surroundings, and as a result, tenant improvements can be penalized for conditions they do not control.”
As with all Green Globes rating programs, Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors utilizes a third-party assessor who reviews actual building characteristics and documentation. However, Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors has no prerequisites, which – if required – could unfairly penalize building projects and possibly result in their inability to use a green building rating system. The Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors program requires that interior designers and tenant project teams address only those sustainability criteria within their “domain of influence.”
The Green Globes 1,000-point scale utilizes weighted criteria; the assigned number of points for individual criteria reflects their relative impact and/or benefit to sustainability of the tenant improvements. Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors includes six environmental assessment areas: Project Management, Energy, Water, Materials & Resources, Emissions and Other Impacts, and Indoor Environment.
In addition to assessing all elements of an interiors project, Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors emphasizes the key performance indicators (KPIs) of energy, materials and indoor environment. Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors does not deal with site characteristics, instead focusing all criteria on parameters within the scope of a typical tenant improvement, resulting in lower costs for certification.
Similar to the Green Globes for New Constuction program, Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors includes a dual-pathway approach to materials choices for interior fit-outs, utilizing either lifecycle assessment (LCA) or Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). Interior designers are rewarded for using multi-purpose furniture, modular furniture and casework solutions, and other interior fit-out elements that can be easily reconfigured. Additional points are awarded for reuse of existing interior fit-outs, including finishes, furnishings, and other non-structural elements. The Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors rating system also includes direct reference to other industry standards such as the new “level” sustainability standard of the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA).
“The Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors program will be especially attractive to tenants who want to improve their workspace sustainability in situations where a landlord does not plan to address changes in other tenant or common spaces,” Yudelson said.
For more information on Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors visit http://www.thegbi.org/green-globes/sustainable-interiors.shtml, or download a PDF on the program here: http://thegbi.org/URL
About the Green Building Initiative
The GBI is a nonprofit organization and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standards Developer dedicated to accelerating the adoption of green building practices. Founded in 2004, the organization is the sole U.S. provider of the Green Globes® and federal GBI Guiding Principles Compliance building certification programs. To learn more about opportunities to become involved in the GBI, contact Jerry Yudelson or visit the GBI website, www.thegbi.org.
Related Stories
Cultural Facilities | Feb 6, 2015
Architects look to ‘activate’ vacant block in San Diego with shipping container-based park
A team of alumni from the NewSchool of Architecture and Design in San Diego has taken over a 28,500-sf empty city block in that metro to create what they hope will be a revenue-generating urban park.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 6, 2015
Fannie Mae to offer lower interest rates to LEED-certified multifamily properties
For certified properties, Fannie Mae is now granting a 10 basis point reduction in the interest rate of a multifamily refinance, acquisition, or supplemental mortgage loan.
Airports | Feb 6, 2015
Zaha Hadid-designed terminal in Beijing will be world’s largest
The terminal will accommodate 45 million passengers per year, and will be a hub for both air and rail travel.
Codes and Standards | Feb 6, 2015
Obama executive order requires federal construction projects to consider flood damage caused by climate change
To meet the new standard, builders must build two feet above the currently projected elevation for 100-year floods for most projects.
HVAC | Feb 6, 2015
ASHRAE, REHVA publish guide to chilled beam systems
The guide provides tools and advice for designing, commissioning, and operating chilled-beam systems.
Cultural Facilities | Feb 6, 2015
Under the sea: Manmade island functions as artificial reef
The proposed island would allow visitors to view the enormous faux-reef and its accompanying marine life from the water’s surface to its depths, functioning as an educational center and marine life reserve.
Contractors | Feb 6, 2015
Census Bureau: Capital spending by U.S. businesses increased 4.5%
Of the 19 industry sectors covered in the report, only one had a statistically significant year-to-year decrease in capital spending: the utilities sector.
Warehouses | Feb 5, 2015
Self storage facility designed to blend in with Miami Beach's party scene
The plans by architect Gutierrez & Lozano are of a sleek, boutique-looking, 22,500-sf facility at the gateway to the city.
Sponsored | Designers | Feb 5, 2015
3D printing has people in the building and construction industry talking
How can 3D printing affect the building design and construction industry?
Cultural Facilities | Feb 5, 2015
5 developments selected as 'best in urban placemaking'
Falls Park on the Reedy in Greenville, S.C., and the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Downtown Market are among the finalists for the 2015 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence.