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A forward-thinking, hands-on client determined to pack as much sustainability punch as possible into its new facility and create an inviting workplace for employees. A lighting designer looking for creative ways to cut energy use, while maintaining an aesthetic edge. Together, they helped create the first LEED-CI Gold-certified commercial real estate office in Atlanta.
Cushman & Wakefield had definite goals for its new 32,600-sq ft office in downtown Atlanta, which includes a lobby, workspaces, small and large conference rooms and private offices. The commercial real estate firm wanted the space to be LEED-CI certified but didn’t want to sacrifice the comfort of its employees. To make its LEED aspirations a reality, lighting designer Morgan Gabler, principal, Gabler- Youngston, looked for innovative solutions her client hadn’t considered to drastically reduce energy use. She accomplished this by choosing energy-saving lamps, photo- and occupancy sensors and a mixture of fixtures to create a green-friendly, yet warm office environment. Using only .82 watts per sq ft, the new space exceeded the team’s original LEED expectations and helped them bring home Gold.
GIVE AND TAKE
The design required creativity and a willingness to make concessions from both Gabler and the client, particularly when it came to selecting lamps. Gabler felt strongly that using the right lamps could reduce energy use, help the project score LEED points and, ultimately, save the firm money. She selected 28-W T5 fluorescent lamps instead of T8s to provide ambient light for the workspaces.
Smaller in size, T5s offer similar output to T8s, but have higher efficacy. While T5s are more efficient than T8s, they also have a higher price tag. Convincing the client to go for the more expensive option wasn’t easy, especially since it had T8 stock leftover from its previous building. Determined to win the firm over, Gabler compiled a detailed energy-savings analysis using statistics from past projects and manufacturer studies to “show that T5s have a lower connected load than T8s, allowing you to use less fixtures and still get higher lighting levels.” The extra work paid off; despite the increased cost, the client opted for T5s.
 While it’s typical for designers to push clients towards sustainable design, it’s rare for a client to convince a designer that testing the limits of accepted practices will make a space greener. But it does happen and it can pay off. When Cushman & Wakefield suggested using pendants on 20-ft centers to provide ambient light over the workspace, Gabler was hesitant. “While there is no set rule, I find 12-ft centers to be about standard,” says Gabler. However, “after running the calculations repeatedly, we found that it worked,” she recalls. By “revising the systems furniture and driving the revision to 20-ft centers,” the team came up with a solution that resulted in “cost savings for the client,” explains Gabler, as well as a reduced energy output throughout the space.
SCORING POINTS
Additional elements helped the design earn four out of the five total LEED points dedicated to lighting, including lamps, which helped score two LEED points for optimizing energy performance. To ensure that each area was lighted as efficiently as possible given its specific function, the team conducted space-by-space calculations rather than whole-area calculations.
For spaces that need increased color rendering and low ultra-violet emissions, such as the lobby and walls showcasing the art collection, infrared halogen sources were used. Group workstations and corridors are lighted by 32-W triple tube CFLs. Though incandescents were used, they were incorporated sparingly as accent lights and in decorative fixtures in the conference rooms and the mother’s room. To play up the Venetian plaster ceiling in the lobby, Gabler’s favorite detail of the space, she used custom- curved, cold-cathode cove lighting. Gabler notes that “the lamps only consume 8 watts per linear ft, while a field bendable compact fluorescent source would consume much more.” The effect is both beautiful and energy efficient.
The design also earned two LEED points for the use of controllable lighting systems—one for the use of sensors, and one for tasks lights. Wall box dimming systems control lighting in the small conference rooms and private offices. The dimmers have a dual daylight and occupancy sensor system that adjusts to both the amount of available daylight and the presence of occupants. Light in the large conference rooms is also controlled by sensors. In the larger spaces, a pre-set dimming system with photo sensors and an astronomical time clock provides a “cost-effective, easy-to-use option that complies with ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1,” says Gabler.
To earn an additional point for controllability of systems, tasks lights were placed at each individual workstation. Lighted by 26-W triple tube CFLs, the lamps provide added visibility of the work place and may help reduce potential health concerns caused by insufficient lighting, such as computer eye strain.
A HOME AWAY FROM HOME
The second objective was to create an office that didn’t feel like an office. Cushman & Wakefield wanted “an open space that would encourage employee collaboration,” says Gabler. To accomplish this, residential elements, such as decorative fixtures, art lighting and wall accents, were used. While decorative elements were incorporated throughout the space, particular attention was paid to the break room, where Gabler used “fixtures that are functional as well as pretty” to create an upbeat mood. Colorful decorative pendants and sconces fitted with halogen E-style lamps “create a visual break from the rest of the office and make the break room a place where employees can rest,” explains Gabler.
 The hallways and corridor walls were also places where decorative elements were used to add warmth. Linear wall washers using T5 lamps create vertical brightness, add depth and increase visibility in the hallways. Another way to create visual interest and emphasize the residential feel was to highlight the client’s art collection. MR16 37IR adjustable accent lights direct the eye upwards and cast a soft glow around the images, which are hung at the end of each corridor.
Cushman & Wakefield’s new space proves that going green doesn’t mean losing out on comfort or style. “The client is thrilled with the space,” Gabler notes, “and the employees love it too.” Through negotiation, the client and designer were able to meet their goals for “energy consumption, aesthetics and cost,” says Gabler.
Call it compromise that didn’t compromise design. |
