The headquarters office of the National Council for Interior Design Qualification, Inc. [NCIDQ] has achieved LEED® Silver Certification as established by the U.S. Green Building Council [USGBC] and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute [GBCI]. LEED is the preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. Designed by Perkins+Will, the NCIDQ office tells a unique story of the interior design profession – from the iconic wood, plastic and metal chairs that represent technological advancements in design to the textiles ranging from hand-loomed, wool and nylon fibers to more current recycled and sustainable materials.
“Even before we got our LEED certification, we were proud of our space,” says NCIDQ Executive Director Jeffrey F. Kenney. “Perkins+Will helped us design a space where the health, safety and welfare of everyone who steps into our office are taken into consideration. Sustainability was a key component to the design, with water reduction and energy-efficient main elements. Products were chosen carefully for characteristics such as recycled content, local manufacturing, low VOCs, FSC-certified wood and formaldehyde-free adhesives. The subway-accessible location allows every staff member to use public transportation for their daily commute.”
“The green building movement offers an unprecedented opportunity to respond to the most important challenges of our time, including global climate change, dependence on non-sustainable and expensive sources of energy and threats to human health,” says Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council. “The work of innovative building projects such as NCIDQ’s is a fundamental driving force in the green building movement.”
One of the ways NCIDQ communicated the story of the office move and the design concept was to blog about the process. You can read the story and see photos of NCIDQ’s new space—from the initial decision to move through the build out and finally to the finished product on the organization’s NCIDQ On the Move blog.
About NCIDQ®
NCIDQ® is an organization of regulatory boards and provincial associations in the United States and Canada whose core purpose is to protect the health, life safety and welfare of the public by establishing standards of competence in the practice of interior design. More information about the organization may be found at ncidq.org.
