KWL Company to Bring Office Sustainability-I
Sustainability has become the mother of what an office should be made of in order to foster the efficiency of the environment and the employees. All the office furniture to be used must be in accordance with the element of sustainability.
Kerr Wood Leidal Associates Ltd. (KWL), a noted company who builds and designs modern buildings, have decided to subscribe to this point of view when they moved its offices from North Vancouver to Burnaby to “walk the walk”, its communications manager Joan Broda said in an interview.
Four years ago, when KWL started planning a move to larger offices, the company has decided that it was time to bring the concept to the office. KWL became one of two Canadian companies in 2005 to achieve the designation, but during the past two years—with increased gas hikes and road congestion—the move has been more than a transfer of offices, but has also proven a positive change in the lives of KWL employees. Even the office furnitures were well-considered to achieve this harmony.
The company has been working with the US and Canadian Green Building Councils to develop the standards for a LEED Commercial Interior rating, and they were one of the first firms in Canada to receive the LEED-CI Certification (Bronze) from the US Green Building Council.
“Going green just makes sense,” says KWL President Mike Currie in an interview. “Through our LEED-CI initiative, we have been able to provide a healthy work environment for employees while also reducing our demands on the environment.”
The move targeted several objectives. “We looked at leaving the smallest carbon footprint possible, creating a nice working environment for employees and using recycled materials,” says Broda.
To reduce the carbon footprint, KWL surveyed employees to determine location. East Vancouver, Burnaby and the North Shore were all considered. In the survey, says Broda, KWL wanted to provide employees with some commuting alternatives such as reducing the time they spent in vehicles, cycling to work, using public transit, and even walking.
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