Center for Sight Building Materials
South Office Details
Many buildings these days are becoming LEED certified, which is a certification given by the U.S. Green Building Council. This certification states that a building meets particular criteria in energy and environmental design. In the Southside office, we concentrated more on the environmental impact of the materials used and tried to meet many LEED criteria. We also tried to meet a cost per square foot that was comparable to "conventionally" built office space. We were able to meet the average cost per square foot using these materials.
FLOORING
Carpet
Carpet tiles can be replaced when individual tiles get soiled. Instead of replacing the whole carpet, one or two tiles can be replaced. In addition, these particular carpet tiles are one of the first to be certified "Cradle-to-Cradle". When the carpet needs replaced, it can be completely recycled into new carpet.
Marmoleum
There are no synthetic chemicals used in the linoleum. It is made from linseed oil, flax, wood flour, rosins, limestone, jute and natural pigments. This does have a noticeable odor when it is newly installed.
Baseboards
You will notice that there are no vinyl baseboards used in the office.
WALLS
Insulation
Steel studs are sandwiched by formaldehyde-free fiberglass insulation.
Joint Compound for Gypsum Boards (Drywall)
Unlike drywall mud used in most construction, the drywall mud used in Center for Sight contains no formaldehyde, preservatives, or vinyl acetate polymers.
Spackling
The spackling used, unlike typical spackling, contains no formaldehyde, asbestos, solvents or mercury.
Caulking
Most solvent-based caulking compounds contain acetone, methyl ethyl acetone, xylene and toluene. WE used a water based elastic emulsion that contains none of the above.
Paints
All points and primers used are non-toxic and seal in outgassing from any substrate. These paints are "no or low" VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints.
DOORS
Doors constructed of wheatboard (straw-based particleboard with a non-formaldehyde, emission-free binder) and a cherry wood veneer adhered using a solvent and formaldehyde-free adhesive.
CABNIETRY AND COUNTERTOPS
Cabinetry
The MDF (pressed wood) used to make the cabinets is SCS (Scientific Certification System) and EPP (Environmentally Preferable Product) certified to contain a minimum 80% recycled wood fiber content and has no added urea formaldehyde resins. The finishes used on the cabinets are low VOC finishes that comply with LEED standards.
Countertops
The countertop substrates are urea formaldehyde free pressed wood.
FURNITURE AND UPHOLSTERY
Upholstery
The fabric content of all upholstered items in the office is a mixture of wool collected during the natural shedding process from free-range sheep and ramie, a natural plant fiber grown in pesticide-free environments. A study of more than 8,000 chemicals used in textile manufacturing revealed only 38 to be "clean" enough to use in a healthy building. The upholstery on the chairs in our office is by far the cleanest and healthiest fabric on the market today- free of carcinogens, toxic chemicals and any known pollutants.
Furniture
All chairs in Center for Sight have a powder coat finish that will not off-gas volatile chemicals.
SCONCES
Sconces are made from sustainable wood forests in Costa Rica.