CALIFORNIA - There is something peculiar about the LPA architectural headquarters in Irvine. The light is so soft and natural. The workstations look so comfortable. And then there are the employees. They are all smiling.
When LPA consolidated its two-building headquarters into one last year, it decided to design it using the same mantra it uses with its clients: green thinking, recycled materials, water conservation and energy savings.
The result is a 30,000-square-foot office that houses 160 employees in a space that uses the latest green technology and holistic environmental thinking.
"There is something about the energy in here," architect Damon Dusterhoft said. "It helps you be more productive." The LPA office is designed to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification standards, an effort by the U.S. Green Building Council to make the construction industry more environmentally conscious.
At LPA, sensors adjust the diffused lighting according to the time of day and the amount of sunlight.
Carpets are made with recycled materials such as tires. Wood and aluminum elements are also made of recycled materials.
A conference room has air-conditioning vents in the floor rather than the ceiling, which means the air only has to be chilled to 65 degrees instead of 55 degrees and uses less fan power to push the air around.
Overall, the building uses 50 percent recycled materials and is designed to save 22 percent in energy costs.
All this was done at a budget of $30 per square foot, compared with the usual $40-$45 per square foot.
"Our approach is that green can happen at any budget," said Dan Heinfeld, LPA president.
A new work area was developed for LPA by Tangram Studios in Santa Fe Springs. While traditional work areas have only certain sections that can be adjusted, those Tangram developed have the entire work surface on an adjustable crank so it can be ergonomically personalized. The surfaces and shelves are wider and deeper to better fit architectural drawings.
Each adjustable workstation costs about $3,600, about $1,000 more than a regular one, said Simon Packman, design director at Tangram during the LPA project.
The desire to experiment with office environments started with the dot-com companies, Packman said. Being colorful, environmentally friendly and distinctive became the hip thing, he said. Today, some of the most outrageous color schemes have faded, but the environmental ideas have stayed.
There are 104 buildings nationwide with LEED certifications, said Taryn Holowka, communications coordinator for the Green Building Council. About 1,200 more are in the process of getting certified.
"You can buy materials to fulfill LEED certification at Home Depot now," Holowka said. "People see that it's tangible." Saving money is the biggest reason for building green, Holowka said. Green buildings may cost more to construct, but with electricity and water bills cut by 20 percent to 50 percent, the savings over the lifetime of a building can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Companies can also save in health-care costs. Environmentally friendly paint leads to better indoor air, which means fewer sick days because of respiratory problems. ING Bank did a productivity study in 1995 on the efficiency of its green approach in its headquarters in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and found it saved 10 percent in energy costs and reduced absenteeism 15 percent.
The Premier Automotive Group office in Irvine consistently rates the highest in employee satisfaction of all 80 Ford buildings, said Victor Borghese, FordLand property manager. The building was the first LEED certified building in Orange County and was designed by LPA.
Some 450 people work in the Premier building, which is made with 35 percent recycled materials. A natural-gas fuel cell provides 25 percent of the energy. About 30 kinds of succulents are planted on a roof, shading the building and lowering air-conditioning costs. Drip irrigation uses 70 percent less water. The water savings could have been higher had the company decided to install more than the two waterless urinals it now has.
"Nobody knew their track record back then," Borghese said. "Now we know they save 40,000 gallons of water per year - each." Overall, the energy and water-bill savings are 30 percent to 50 percent, Borghese said.
Add to that the quality of the work environment, which makes employees temporarily assigned to the Irvine office postpone going back to their regular offices as long as they can. More than 90 percent of the employees can see the spectacular views of the surrounding county through the floor-to-ceiling windows that also maximize daylight.
"It encourages you to go to work," said Roger Ormisher, vice president of public affairs at Volvo, one of the four Ford brands housed in Irvine. "The building makes work easier and more enjoyable."
Tips
Here are some suggestions from the Green Building Council on how to create a greener work environment.
Bring in a building commissioner to check that air conditioning and heating work correctly.
Install low-flow faucets and toilets.
Recycle, use fume-free paint and install floors of bamboo.
Web resources
www.usgbc.org - The U.S. Green Building Council home page has links to the LEED program and its certification requirements.
www.greenbuildingpages.com - Evaluates green building materials. Connects designers, manufacturers and developers.
