Green Design:
Green Materials and Processes
Click on the images above to learn about the green design features of 14 Maple Avenue.
Whenever possible, the design of this building incorporates as many recycled, locally/regionally manufactured materials, rapidly renewable, and low or no-toxic materials as possible, which demands less of the environment by reducing consumption of raw and non-renewable materials, and also reduces exposure to materials that release harmful chemicals into the air. Some examples of green materials that you’ve been reading about include bamboo, a rapidly renewable material that is used for floors and wall paneling, cork, and recycled glass that can be found in our countertops and floors. Additionally, only green (non-toxic) cleaning products will be used in the interior of the building which will maintain the integrity of the green workspace.
It is also important to understand that when dealing with the built environment, building material reuse is step-one in green design. Building material reuse diverts tons of waste from landfills (which also reduces construction waste costs), and reduces the amount of raw materials that must be extracted and processed for use in construction (this means that reusing building materials also results in energy savings).
CitiLog, a New Jersey based firm specializing in salvaging and recycling wood, reclaimed all salvageable beams and building materials from the former Epstein’s department store, a 90-year institution in downtown Morristown, before the site was razed. Citilog then sent the sent wood to Mifflintown, Pennsylvania, where an Amish group repurposed the wood into two decorative woods walls for our office.