Cubellis Showroom Project for Coalesse Awarded LEED Gold by USGBC
-- Building Design & Construction, 6/28/2009 1:29:00 PM
Chicago, IL - Cubellis, an international architectural, interior design and engineering firm is pleased to announce that the firm was the Architect of Record for Coalesse®, a premium live/work furnishings brand, that was recently awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for its showroom in The Merchandise Mart in Chicago, IL.
The showroom was awarded the certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, an organization dedicated to sustainable building design and construction. The LEED Green Building Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria.
Stewardship of the environment has long been a part of Cubellis' design philosophy and the project team took a proactive role in the "greening" process for the Coalesse showroom located in The Merchandise Mart. When the "Mart" opened in 1930, it was the largest building in the world. This massive space has recently become USGBC LEED-EB certified, and has become a model for responsible design in the community! The 22,000 square foot Coalesse showroom was able to capitalize on site selection to obtain LEED Gold Certification by way of development density and community connectivity, storage and collection of recyclables, as well as construction waste management. By making thoughtful design decisions, the team created a healthy and productive work environment by incorporating the following strategies; water efficiency by reducing water consumption, optimizing energy performance through the use of lighting controls and energy star appliances, indoor environmental quality by giving staff daylight views, and using low emitting materials.
"All the key players met early in the design process to discuss LEED initiatives for the showroom and how we could push the design above and beyond the USGBC requirements without jeopardizing the aesthetic and social intent of the space," said Carolyn Farrugia, IIDA, Cubellis Project Designer. "We were working in an historic landmark building, so it was important from the start to have the owners and designers as well as the engineers brainstorm together for the best LEED strategies."
LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. The areas of focus that contributed to LEED certification for the showroom include sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design process.
For more information on LEED certification, or to learn more about the USGBC, a 501(c)(3) non-profit community of leaders working to make green buildings available to everyone within a generation, please visit: http://www.usgbc.org
About Cubellis
Cubellis is an integrated, multidisciplinary design firm offering architectural, interior design, and engineering services to a diverse base of national and international clients. The firm's practice area expertise includes retail & mixed-use, workplace solutions, residential, academic, hospitality, and government/municipal. Cubellis is a team of over 300 professionals, with offices in Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Boston, MA; Rocky Hill, CT; Englewood Cliffs; NJ Philadelphia and Wayne, PA; Tysons Corner, VA; Chicago, IL; Orange County, CA; Baltimore, MD; Dallas, TX; New York, NY; and Dubai, UAE. For more information, please visit: www.cubellis.com or www.cubellisblog.com
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