RETROFITTING YOUR PRESENT OFFICE BUILDING if you want your office building to be as energyefficient as possible, find out information about energy audit companies (accredited, if possible) in your country. they inspect the energy input situation in your building, determine where the building is losing energy, estimate the potential for energy saving and recommend some sustainable solutions. if you are ready to jump in head first in making your building more sustainable but lack the financial resources for professional energy audit, maybe the ‘Do-it-yourself Guide to Sealing and Insulating With energy Star‘ and some other Diy guides would be an option for you. you can use an infrared camera to detect roofing and heat loss, even moisture. Choose sustainable insulation materials with a high percentage of recycled materials that don’t contain harmful substances. examples of sustainable insulation materials are: denim (natural cotton fibre, recycled from the scraps left over from the production of clothing), hemp, wood fibre, etc. install high-performance windows and doors. if you notice moisture entering your house, it is high time to replace your windows, otherwise it can lead to mold growth and serious health problems. When selecting your new windows, remember that vinyl windows emit VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and the amount of energy used to manufacture them is much higher than required to produce wooden windows. Sunreflecting windows are also available. Choose energy-saving roof shingles (higher solar reflectance and thermal emittance). energy Star certificated shingles reflect 25% (installed on a steep-sloped roof) to 65% or more (low-sloped roof) solar radiation. you can also install solar shingles and produce energy for your office needs. a cheaper way to minimize heat absorption is to put a light colour on the roof or plant vegetation. insulating your roof will make you like your utilities bill more. 16
Green tOOlbOx
Planting trees to provide shade and wind protection for the building is perhaps the most beautiful way to save the climate and money on heating and air conditioning. Office sharing is another option to minimize your footprint and costs, while optimizing the use of space and resources. you can find shared offices all around the world or offer your free workspaces and conference rooms for rent. both the environment and your organisation’s wallet will enjoy this. you can reduce your footprint, support sustainable initiatives and do a favour to employees’ health by choosing to rent rooms in a ‘green office building.’
THE HUB at least 4,000 hardworking and fun-loving people from 5 continents enjoy a special sort of office sharing called the Hub. it offers you meeting rooms, workspace, professional infrastructure, business support and a chance to socialize and collaborate with other individuals, organisations and companies working on different projects. there are 25+ open hubs to date all over the world and 50+ in the making. read more on www.the-hub.net, if you like. When choosing an office, make sure that it has access to public transit and that the office building is handicap-friendly. last but not least, you might want to set up a community garden on adjacent land, in containers on a deck, or even on the roof of the building. to be practical, you should plant only vegetables, spices and greens that could be handpicked, don’t require cooking (tomatoes, peppers, small melons, radishes etc.) and can be eaten right after harvesting. independent School Management CeO roxanne Higgins says that their garden is seen as an extension of her company’s wellness programme. it is also an inexpensive team-building method. Many well-known companies have provided space and support for employees interested in gardening.