LRN Gains LEED Gold for Commercial Interiors
NEW YORK — One of only a handful of projects to achieve the high level green certification in New York City, LRN’s Manhattan office has gained LEED Gold for Commercial Interiors.
The company, which is a leading provider of solutions and strategies to enhance corporate culture and ethical behavior, wanted the built environment to keep with LRN’s mission of social and environmental responsibility.
“We aspired for every element of our space to manifest our commitment to living sustainable values,” said Dov Seidman, LRN founder and chief executive, in a statement. “Inspired by LRN’s mission and mindful of Winston Churchill’s adage that, ‘We shape our dwellings and thereafter they shape us,’ we came together and collaborated to ensure that our space reached the highest standards of environmental responsibility and efficiency and at the same time helped shape behaviors we value — transparency, collaboration and community.”
The building features a cubicle-free open floor plan designed specifically to promote collaboration, meaningful conversations and innovation. In keeping with the company’s commitment to transparency, all conference rooms are visible via glass walls and doors. Plus, approximately 90 percent of work places have direct sightlines to exterior views.
The project also placed a large emphasis on indoor air quality by bringing in 30 percent more fresh, outdoor air than required by New York City standards. Material health was also considered as all adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, flooring systems and furniture are deemed low-VOC. Also, overhead lighting controls are available to 90 percent of employee workspaces for energy efficiency. All lighting is low in mercury content.
The building is situated within half a mile of six different subway stations serving 10 different routes, providing a wealth of accessible public transportation options, and indoor space is allotted to bicycle storage and indoor showers to encourage employees to bike to work. In total, the company’s sustainable efforts result in annual energy savings of more than 725,728 kWh per year and have avoided more than 800,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.