McGuire Engineers Sets Eco-Example in Own Offices

July 09, 2010

Smart, Budget-Conscious Design to Receive LEED Platinum Status CHICAGO, July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- When it came time to move office space, the leadership at McGuire Engineers (www.mepcinc.com) took the opportunity to create the ultimate "eco" office. The just-completed office space, which is under review to receive LEED Platinum certification, was designed by McGuire Engineers to showcase a wide variety of ideas the average office can implement to lessen its carbon footprint and create a healthier, more productive environment for employees. "Our office looks like an average workspace, but every aspect has been designed for energy efficiency as well as employee health and comfort - from the lighting to the carpet," said Bill Stangeland, president and principal of McGuire Engineers. "We have a real office and a real budget. We created a space for clients to walk through and think, 'I could do that.'" To design the office, McGuire carefully selected efficient light fixtures, sustainable, re-used and recycled materials, and controls to monitor and adjust energy usage. A virtual tour of the offices is online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYeyTWGKLUU. The space includes features such as: - Energy-efficient lighting. The fixtures are ultra energy-efficient, but their efficiency is multiplied because of their placement and control. McGuire's offices use 0.78 watts per square foot, which exceeds ASHRAE's standards by 28 percent. - Reused, recycled, local and sustainable materials. McGuire used as much as it could from the old office space, including the old ceiling tiles and all the filing cabinets, which were re-painted in low-VOC paint by a local vendor. All lighting and furniture was sourced locally or regionally. The carpet tiles are 100 percent recycled, and low VOC-paint covers the walls. Key focal areas, like the lobby entrance and the conference-room credenza are made from Plyboo®, a sustainable plywood made from bamboo.

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