Natural Resources Defense Council Office in Chicago by Studio Gang Architects

Article source: Studio Gang Architects

Receives World’s First Living Building Challenge Certification for Tenant Retrofit

Studio Gang Architects announces the completion of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s new Midwest Office, a project that raises the bar for sustainable spaces in Chicago and across the nation. In addition to its LEED Platinum rating, the new NRDC office is the first project of its kind to meet the Living Building Challenge, a rigorous certification program that exceeds the environmental standards of the LEED system.

Image Courtesy © Studio Gang Architects

• Architects: Studio Gang Architects
• Project: Natural Resources Defense Council Office
• Location: Chicago, United States
• Software used: AutoCAD & Adobe Creative Suite

Image Courtesy © Studio Gang Architects

“We wanted to break through boundaries with this project and so did the NRDC,” said Jeanne Gang. “By taking on the Living Building Challenge, we essentially joined the movement to require transparency in the content of building materials. Just as the labeling revolution has transformed the food industry, this move toward greater transparency encourages all manufacturers to declare the content of their materials and the chemicals used in their production. This will change the way we design and how we choose the environments we inhabit. I am very encouraged by this method of measuring sustainability because it has the potential to create real change in the manufacturing processes.”

Image Courtesy © Studio Gang Architects

Studio Gang also collaborated with NRDC staff to reconsider the traditional office space for attorneys. By distributing quiet areas and reservable, small-scale conference spaces, the team was able to eliminate private offices altogether and allow natural daylight to permeate the space. Finishes include various reclaimed materials, such as wood trim moldings that combine to create a fluted surface that defines the space, as well as felt-wrapped tectum panels; recycled glazing; and pre-owned, refurbished furniture elements. Rope sculptures for climbing plants, which filter the air and provide organic beauty, foster an engaging workspace that supports the important environmental advocacy taking place within it.

Image Courtesy © Studio Gang Architects

“The new space is gorgeous, sleek, surprising, and sustainable,” said NRDC Midwest Director Henry Henderson. “It sets a standard aesthetically, functionally, and intellectually, demonstrating that great environmental design is a real pleasure. We have the distinction of the world’s first Living Building Challenge Petal Certification in this type of space—surely this will not be the last. There is a huge demand in Chicago and the rest of the country for healthy, workable spaces that fully embrace sustainable design.”

Image Courtesy © Studio Gang Architects

Located in the historic Civic Opera Building on the south branch of the Chicago River, the project is the latest chapter in an ongoing collaboration between Studio Gang and NRDC that includes the 2011 publication Reverse Effect: Renewing Chicago’s Waterways.

Image Courtesy © Studio Gang Architects

ABOUT STUDIO GANG ARCHITECTS

Founded by Jeanne Gang, FAIA, Studio Gang Architects is a collective of architects, designers, and thinkers whose work confronts pressing contemporary issues. The studio acts as a lab for testing ideas on varying scales: from cities to environments to material properties. Studio Gang’s work has been honored and exhibited widely, most notably at the International Venice Biennale, Museum of Modern Art, National Building Museum, and Art Institute of Chicago.

Image Courtesy © Studio Gang Architects

ABOUT NRDC

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 1.4 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world’s natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Chicago; Bozeman, MT; and Beijing.

Image Courtesy © Studio Gang Architects

Tags: Chicago

Categories: Adobe CS, Offices

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