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Have you noticed? There’s actually some good news on the environment lately.

For example, Grand Rapids just played host to a green building conference and the United Nations has designated the city one of only 32 cities in the world to be a Regional Center of Expertise in Education for Sustainable Development.

As more businesses “go green,” people are beginning to see that our modern lives and our concern for the natural world don’t have to be at odds. But, did you know that to “go green” at the office, you hardly have to leave your desk chair?

Green office interiors are one way that businesses can improve what we call their Triple Bottom Line: profit, people, and planet. The Washington, D.C.–based environmental think tank, World Resources Institute (WRI) even selected Green Office Design as one of the trends to watch in 2008 and beyond.

LEED credits, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design credits, are the U.S. Green Building Council’s way to measure a work environment’s adherence to energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. The (LEED) standards assess all aspects of building performance with comprehensive rating tools to promote green design, construction, and operations practices. The requirements range from state-of-the-art strategies for site selection, water savings, energy efficiency, material selection, and indoor environmental quality.

The LEED Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) rating addresses factors like efficient water usage, energy conservation, and indoor air quality. Businesses that have designed their interiors with an eye toward efficiency and the environment are rewarded with LEED “points.” There are four levels of achievement depending on the number of green principles adopted: Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum.

Locally, examples of exemplary green commercial interiors design components can be found right here in Grand Rapids at One Haworth Center. Haworth’s Organic Workspace Solutions provide businesses with opportunities to gain the all-important LEED credits and can even help businesses achieve their own sustainability goals. If you’ve been hearing about LEED credits and are interested in assessing your own office environment with the idea of “going green” Haworth has several options to choose from.

When the Washington D.C.-based WRI expanded its offices, they responded to their own trends report and went green. The decision had unforeseen benefits.

“Besides the satisfaction of creating modern and cool new offices and meeting rooms, this expansion gave us the opportunity to push the envelope in how commercial buildings can be more environmentally friendly,” the company announced on its website (www.wri.org). “The extra effort paid off in more than great office space.”

The WRI not only exhibited its environmental principals in their new office design, but now saves money on energy costs and expects high employee satisfaction and productivity for years to come. They also scored a Gold accreditation from LEED.

As a commercial interiors dealer, I know from experience that a wide variety of professional workspaces – from elaborately appointed luxurious office suites to simple, functional spaces – can improve employee performance, be environmentally friendly, and save money. The prospect of “going green” has made it an exciting time to work within the commercial interiors field. New ideas and technology are converging to create undisputable benefits for the Triple Bottom Line, and many of these can be seen at One Haworth Center.

Give your desk chair a whirl and take a look around your office environment. How could you “go green”?

Randy DeBoer is president and owner of Interphase Interiors, the exclusive Haworth dealer in West and Northern Michigan for more than 27 years. DeBoer was the first Michigan furniture dealer/owner with Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation. Further information can be found at www.interphaseinc.com or by calling (616) 245-0800.

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