EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In June, 1996, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a 25-year old national environmental organization, moved into a new 20,000 square foot space in Washington, D.C. that is one of the most environmentally-friendly offices in the United States. NRDC's eco-office is located at 1200 New York Avenue, a new building that was constructed for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The building was designed by Henry Cobb, of the renowned architectural firm of Pei, Cobb, Freed, and Partners. New York architects the Croxton Collaborative were responsible for the energy and environmental features of the 12-story gray granite building, which include an air conditioning system that eliminates ozone-depleting CFCs or HCFCs and the use of formaldehyde-free carpets and ceiling tiles, as well as other additional innovative architectural and engineering features that help cut energy consumption by 50%. These environmental features of the AAAS building were a primary impetus for NRDC to locate there.

Our Washington office represents the culmination of a 10-year greening process of all four of the organization's offices nationwide. NRDC's offices demonstrate innovative energy and environmental design and provide valuable examples of what's currently possible in the field of office construction. Over 90% of the environmental materials we used in Washington were not available when we started this process in our New York headquarters. The explosion of "green" building materials indicates that our methods are being more widely adopted, highlighting the direct value of NRDC's leadership in making building construction more environmentally sustainable.

Summary of Costs and Environmental Benefits
Total Build-out Cost/Tenant Allowance	$46/sq.ft. / $36.50/sq.ft.
Extra Design Costs	$40,000; $1.96/sf
Extra Cost of Environmental Measures	$59,500; $2.91/sf
Annual Operating Cost Savings (energy only)	$15,000/yr
Annual Pollution Prevented
CO2	170,000 lb/yr
SOx	2,000 lb/yr
NOx	600 lb/yr

Costs

As can be seen from the table above, NRDC incurred a $9.50 total extra first cost for the build-out of its space. About $2/sf of this was a result of extra design costs; about $2.90 is attributable to environmental and energy efficiency features. The rest was for items such as the internal stairwell and additional security requirements of the building, etc. These extra costs are part of moving up the learning curve of environmental building and the early stage in which some of these materials and practices find themselves. As many of these products mature, it is our belief that costs will decline, making many "green" products competitive with standard materials. Other extra costs of environmental design should be easily paid back through reduced operating costs^[1] and expected increases in productivity, including reduced absenteeism.^[2] For example, NRDC staff in our New York office have shown high satisfaction with their ability to control their lighting as well as the ability to have visual access to daylight in the corridors through clerestories and other architectural devices.^[3]

Design Principles

NRDC established a set of environmental design principles that guided our design and product choices. (1) Demonstrate environmental leadership in state-of-the art environmental and energy efficient office that can be a learning tool and an inspirational example for the building profession; (2) Use innovative, natural, renewable, low-toxic and/or recycled materials; (3) Protect and enhance indoor air quality; (4) Demonstrate reductions in wood use in conventional office construction and showcase products made from wood harvested from independently certified well-managed forests; and, (5) Demonstrate cutting-edge, cost-effective energy efficient lighting design, appliances, and computer equipment.

Environmental Materials

NRDC uses two basic kinds of environmental wall systems: solid compressed straw panels and synthetic gypsum wallboard sandwiching steel studs. Currently most of the straw is disposed of by open air burning, which causes severe seasonal air quality problems over large regions of the country. Using recycled gypsum reduces mining and employs an industrial byproduct that would need to be disposed of otherwise. NRDC also used a compressed straw core for its doors instead of particle board. Reducing wood use reduces logging pressure on our forests.

Both of the paints we used in the office have very low volatile organic compound (VOC) levels, ranging from 80% to 99% lower VOC content. VOCs contribute to indoor air quality problems, as well as outdoor ozone pollution. In addition, all of our adhesives have reduced VOC levels and some do not contain any reportable hazardous material content at all.

For carpeting we used a solution-dyed nylon carpet that will be recycled at the end of its life. Carpet recycling programs are growing rapidly and will reduce the use of fossil fuels to make the nylon, as well as reduce landfill waste. Solution dyeing reduces toxic water pollution because the color is integral to the nylon fiber, rather than absorbed by the fabric. NRDC also used true linoleum, which is made from all natural ingredients, rather than vinyl tile. Vinyl is made using chlorine compounds which have been implicated as endocrine disrupters. The ceramic tile we used contains 70% recycled glass from windshields and plate glass. This tile requires less energy to produce and keeps extra waste out of the landfill. NRDC also installed mineral fiber-free ceiling tile because of concerns about these fibers getting into the office air through the ventilation system over time.

NRDC demonstrated several environmental products for use as shelving and countertop substrate (the material underneath the finish or laminate) as substitutes or replacements for wood-based products containing toxic resins, such as plywood or particleboard. These products are made from agricultural waste straw or recycled junk mail instead of wood, reducing pressure on our nation's forests.

NRDC also wanted to showcase products made of wood harvested from independently certified well-managed forests and commissioned several pieces of custom furniture to be made. Certified well-managed forests maintain natural forest structures that are the antithesis of "cut-and-run" logging practices, reducing ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss, air and water pollution, destruction of natural scenery and economic instability. NRDC also used environmental fabrics for the cushions of this furniture that are created from completely re-tooled manufacturing processes that use no toxic materials and produce no waste.

Most of the countertops throughout the office are finished with a material that looks something like marble and feels like plastic, but is made up of newsprint, soybean flour, coloring and adhesives. The product is made using natural and recycled materials, avoiding the depletion of non-renewable resources.

Energy Efficiency Measures

NRDC's efficient lighting system, computers and appliances save about 70% of the energy consumed in a conventional office space. Lighting measures, which combine the use of daylighting measures with efficient lighting equipment and energy-conserving design use 75% less than a conventional system. Computing and appliance energy was reduced by half through the use of the most energy efficient equipment available. The energy savings from this combination of measures results in thousands of pounds of avoided emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.

Finally, NRDC's daily operations were examined for ways to reduce environmental impacts and safeguard the health of our employees. We purchased an economical drinking water purification system and use organic, shade-grown coffee. In addition, all of our paper and most of our office supplies have significant post-consumer recycled content.

Notes

1. Since NRDC currently pays for its energy through the rent, it receives no direct benefit from the energy efficiency, though it can be easily shown that the energy measures undertaken are very cost-effective.

2. Productivity gains are difficult to measure in a dynamic office setting, however, Joseph Romm in Lean and Green Management found evidence to suggest that improved environmental conditions in buildings led to productivity increases ranging from 1.5% to 6%. About 75% of the money flows through a building over the course of its life -- including construction costs -- are attributable to salaries, swamping all other costs, including utilities, which are typically about 2% of salary costs. A 1%-2% productivity improvement from workers is roughly equivalent in economic terms to the cost of energy. Several of the features of the D.C. office for which NRDC paid extra are productivity-enhancing, such as the internal stairwell, though not necessarily "environmental."

3. Watson, Robert K., et. al, "Office Building to Produce Energy Savings of 75%" in Proceedings of the 1992 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings.