A new generation of sustainability leaders creates a showcase office to inspire green ideas.

green spaces that work

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HELPING YOU BRIDGE THE SUSTAINABILITY GAPSustainability is capturing headlines across the marketplace. Look beyond the headlines and you’ll discover that organizations profiting from sustainability are skilled at bridging strategy, stakeholder outreach and communications. Learn how Innovolve’s sustainability consulting services can empower you to chart creative routes to market.

www.innovolve.com

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Toronto

sustainability studio

A s sustainability issues gain wider public and political traction almost daily, the need for clarity, accountability and fresh thinking on the

environment grows, too. The global economic crisis has only added to the interest – and to the urgency. Fortunately, the business community is responding in innovative ways.

An example of a company working with leaders to find solutions is the Innovolve Group – a boutique green consultancy that bridges strategy and communications to bring “sustainability to the masses.” As Innovolve president and CEO Anthony Watanabe puts it, “Sustainability is truly the opportunity of our time.”

In less than seven years, the Innovolve team has attracted a roster of clients that includes a wide range of organizations making real steps toward sustainable practices, from the World Wildlife Fund to Alcan Packaging. In seeking new headquarters to accommodate its growing operations, Innovolve wanted to maximize space utilization while meeting the highest environmental standards possible – a design philosophy that is not only sustainable but also represents prudent planning in the face of current economic realities.

Following an extensive search for green office space, Innovolve chose the second floor of a new residential commercial building located in a rapidly rejuvenating area on Richmond Street East in Toronto. The 2,700-square foot Sustainability Studio comfortably houses up to 20 occupants at a time. Innovolve’s team will be joined by like-minded co-tenants in an environment that mixes private offices, open-concept workstations and communal areas and amenities adaptable to a variety of tasks.

Proximity to transit and natural lighting were two features that came with the space, but beyond that a big part of making the Studio sustainable came down to suppliers. To realize its design vision, Innovolve enlisted the services of the Toronto office of the global architecture firm HOK. Richard Williams, HOK Vice President, Architecture & Sustainable Design Integration, says there were immediate synergies. Through extensive consultations involving Williams, project leader Brian Aman and sustainable engineering experts Jain & Associates, the team assembled a wish list of suppliers they hoped to include in the project, based on their sustainable manufacturing processes, earthfriendly products and local origin.

For instance, AyA Kitchens and Baths of Mississauga, Ont., met all three of these requirements. Its EVO™ line of cabinetry, targeted at green builders and designed to maximize Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credits, ticked all the boxes for the Studio. EVO™ products surpass indoor air-quality emission standards, are made from

100% recycled wood products and are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council – the global leader in responsible forestry management. As AyA president David Marcus explains, “From day one, we’ve always had a culture focused on sustainability.” For Innovolve, EVO™ was a natural fit.

HOK’s global reach gives it significant influence on supply chains, says Williams. As more clients specify sustainable products and demand grows, progressive suppliers put more resources into meeting that demand. “We will move toward sustainability whenever we have the opportunity,” he adds. “We will always discuss it with every client.”

International flooring giant InterfaceFLOR is one supplier that stands out as a recognized global sustainability leader. Since 1996, InterfaceFLOR has reduced net greenhouse gas emissions by 82%, cut per-unit water consumption 75%, and decreased waste to landfill by nearly 66%. With a manufacturing facility in nearby Belleville, Ont., InterfaceFLOR offered a seamless match with Innovolve’s emphasis on local sourcing. (Unfortunately, the Belleville plant is now slated for closure due to slackening worldwide demand.)

As with InterfaceFLOR, every supplier that contributed to Sustainability Studio had to enhance the sustainability story. Modular glass walls and furniture by Haworth were selected for their move-ability and adaptability, features that expand the possibilities for reconfiguring the office and drastically reducing waste in the event of a move or renovation. “Sustainability is not just a product,” says Haworth regional vice-president Doug Martineau, “but rather it is a result of a better process – a better process of design, execution and, most importantly, ownership and occupancy behaviour.”

Every aspect of sustainability was considered. ENERGY STAR appliances from Sears Canada and high-performance light fixtures by Metalumen, manufactured in nearby Guelph, Ont., were selected by the Studio for their contribution to superior energy performance. Zero volatile organic compound (VOC) paints from Sherwin-Williams, and nontoxic adhesives and sealants throughout, cut down on offgassing often associated with new construction. Dual-flush toilets and automated, low-flow faucets will reduce water consumption by up to 33%.

In the same way that Sustainability Studio could become a model for green offices, another Innovolve client has demonstrated the potential for applying such design principles to housing. Recognized as the 2008 Green Builder of the Year, the Minto Group constructed its aptly named Inspiration ecohome as a demonstration net-zero home in Manotick, Ont., south of Ottawa. Innovolve developed the marketing and consumer-engagement plan for the project and has since been retained by Minto as a strategic advisor. ●

green spaces that work

green spaces that work

Sustainability Studio is Innovolve’s

most ambitious collaboration to date. Studio activities include informal monthly ideation sessions, called Idea Jams, where friends and collaborators work on sustainability market challenges. The vital role of research gets top billing in another Studio activity, Change Lab, which supports sustainability-themed knowledge development. A third, but no less important Studio activity, Community Mentorship, offers strategic guidance to start-up sustainable enterprises, something which company founder, Anthony Watanabe, has been doing for years.

inside the studio

democratizing innovation

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A side from reducing the Studio’s environmental footprint, the decisions made through consultations with HOK will have direct, positive consequences for its tenants, including lower long-term operating costs, increased work-style

flexibility, a strengthened employment brand, improved marketability and a much more comfortable environment.

Studies have shown that a well designed workspace increases productivity while decreasing chronic work injuries and absenteeism. But to attract and retain the best and brightest workers, the workplace must also be sustainable. As Williams points out, “sustainability has layers of opportunity and layers of value as you move deeper into it” which add up to “huge business benefits to doing these things right.”

The Studio site maximizes this potential through features such as operable windows, ergonomically designed furniture, quality of light and superior indoor

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air quality. High ceilings allow heat to rise, reducing the need for air conditioning in the summer. Service spaces have been pushed to the back, leaving the south-facing floor-to-ceiling windowed space open for workstations and collaborative areas, so that every occupant has a view. Reliable, contiguous public transit is nearby.

Collaboration has always been central to the Innovolve approach. Garrick Ng, Innovolve’s vice-president of sustainability, explains that companies have recognized that they can best achieve their sustainability goals when they have buy-in from diverse stakeholders. As Procter & Gamble Canada’s sustainability agency of record, Innovolve helped prepare the consumer education and launch plan for the next generation of concentrated liquid laundry products. A significant part of the project involved building awareness among suppliers, industry associations, recyclers, retailers and consumers. The message here, says Ng, is “don’t do it alone.”

Sustainability Studio is Innovolve’s most ambitious collaboration to date. It has been designed, constructed and outfitted to maximize environmental opportunities and Innovolve is pursuing third party certification of the Studio under the LEED Canada-CI rating system (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - Commercial Interiors).

One of the first co-tenants to climb aboard was the Greater Toronto chapter of the Canada Green Building Council, stewards of LEED Canada. The non-profit’s executive director, Lyle Shipley, says part of his motivation in getting involved with Sustainability Studio was to dispel common myths surrounding green buildings, in particular that they are too expensive.

Shipley says he is often approached by a new breed of businesses looking for ways to distinguish themselves in a crowded marketplace. “Green presents a lot

of opportunities,” he says. Shipley is looking forward to working out of the Studio, but “most importantly, we wanted to show business people in Canada that this can be done, and it can be done successfully.” In a city such as Toronto, he says the Innovolve team has developed a model with great potential to attract quality co-tenants. “To sum it up,” he says, “they get it.”

In order to facilitate and enhance this ongoing collaboration with clients and co-tenants, Sustainability Studio, in spirit and by design, embraces the principles of the design charrette. A long-standing practice in architecture and design, the charrette process brings together groups with a diverse set of expertise to frame a

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waste:THE HAWORTH ZODY™ CHAIR is made from up to 50% recycled materials, is up to 98% recyclable, and is both GREENGUARD and Cradle to Cradle™ Certified.

INTERFACEFLOR CARPET TILES contain 43% - 46% recycled material, can be individually replaced as needed, and can be recycled and repurposed into new carpet.

MODULAR WALLS SYSTEMS BY HAWORTH can be reconfigured as occupant needs change, reducing waste from renovation by up to 98%.

materials: FORBO MARMOLEUM RESILIENT FLOORING is made from natural and renewable raw materials like linseed oil, pine rosins, wood flour, limestone and jute.

ICESTONE COUNTERTOPS are made from 100% recycled glass and cement, are VOC-free and Cradle to Cradle™ Certified - a great alternative to quarried stone.

EVO™ CABINETRY FROM AYA KITCHENS is FSC-certified and made from 100% post-industrial recycled fiberboard.

ARMSTRONG CEILING TILES contain up to 82% recycled content and can be reclaimed at the end of their useful life.

energy:KENMORE ENERGY STAR-RATED REFRIGERATORS AND DISHWASHERS consume a minimum of 15% and 25% less energy, respectively, than conventional appliances.

METALUMEN LIGHTING provides superior energy performance and light quality - critical for a productive working environment.

indoor air quality:SHERWIN-WILLIAMS HARMONY INTERIOR LATEX PAINT offers a zero-VOC coating that allows for immediate occupancy of newly painted spaces.

water:AMERICAN STANDARD DUAL FLUSH TOILETS offer substantial water savings by providing two flush levels.

SLOAN SOLIS FAUCETS have a solar powered electronic sensor to help conserve water and energy.

problem in a new way and to develop a collaborative course of action. This collision of perspectives tends to break down silos and lead to transformative outcomes.

Sustainability for the massesThese activities will be all the more dynamic given the fertile mix of co-tenants. For example, another Studio tenant is Fleet Challenge Ontario, a leading-edge environmental non-governmental organization. Fleet Challenge works with vehicle fleet operators to design and implement innovative practices that reduce their operating costs and carbon footprint. CEO Roger Smith and the Fleet Challenge team have found in the Studio a workspace that reflects their organization’s environmental values.

Another Studio co-tenant is Sustainable Buildings Canada (SBC). Executive director Michael Singleton says the move just made sense. “We always had the vision of occupying a cutting-edge green workspace. We wanted to walk the talk.”

A true green-building insider, Singleton points out that across Canada, young and growing companies are looking for new kinds of office space, and Sustainability Studio holds interesting prospects for replication in the future. He describes product differentiation in the office marketplace, where premium features are recognized for long-term value. Business leaders are now paying attention to key metrics such as energy-consumption-to-floor-space ratio and carbon footprint.

“What’s exciting about this is, as you drive down utility expenses or take advantage of government incentives, you can pass that on to tenants,” he points out. Exceptional workspaces then become accessible to forward-thinking SMEs (small to medium enterprises), non-profits and ambitious start-ups, groups that in the past might have operated from bare–bones home offices or a “cube farm” in the suburbs.

“Connecting sustainability to business strategy is the hardest part, but it’s entirely feasible,” says Innovolve’s Garrick Ng. In practical terms, it means first defining a company’s sustainability proposition, then pursuing a commercialization pathway to achieve market impact. Call it the “sweet spot” of sustainability, where ROI means Responsibility + Opportunity = Innovation, a formula coined by Watanabe and on which he has written extensively.

Innovolve’s process toolkit is designed to deliver pragmatic, actionable solutions. “We help clients measure their footprint, capitalize on high-impact opportunities, look for not-so-obvious ways to get to zero waste, eliminate trade-offs” – and ultimately, says Ng, “make things better.”

Led by vice-president of operations Rose Swagemakers, Innovolve’s event management division applies this level

of rigour to all of its procurement policies, from selecting hotels and sourcing local fair-trade products and services to minimizing document production and leveraging video conferencing. “This awareness and expertise is borne out of a track record that has seen Innovolve produce a host of first-ever sustainability-related conferences in Canada,” says Swagemakers, “where content and delivery demanded alignment.” Innovolve’s Canada Green Meeting Guide, in distribution across the country, offers category-specific sustainability criteria for suppliers.

Motivation meets opportunityThe motivations for pursuing sustainability are numerous and varied. The shift is being driven from the ground up, as employees demand to know what their employers are doing to help the environment, and from the top down, as leaders look for ways to cut costs and, in many cases, promote their personal passions. And increasingly, whether through government incentives and consumer demand, or tighter regulation and new forms of taxation, it’s driven from outside.

The key is authenticity. Now that corporate “greenwashing” has been widely exposed and discredited, it is increasingly important that a company can withstand scrutiny of its green claims, because the stakes are high when it comes to public trust.

HOK’s Richard Williams describes the business pursuit of sustainability this way: “A lot of businesses know they want it, but they’re not quite sure what it is.”

But a new generation of sustainability leaders is emerging – young professionals with new skill sets, determined to help companies get on track. Sustainability Studio is well positioned to become an influential hub of sustainability thinking, with deep, varied expertise and a unique suite of services.

Says Innovolve CEO Anthony Watanabe: “It is the combination of an exciting vision for our new headquarters and the fantastic partners who helped us bring it to life – and all on a very compressed footprint.” ●

For more information on Sustainability Studio, visit www.sustainabilitystudio.com.

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design partnerssustainabilitystudio.com

To learn how Innovolve’s sustainability consulting services can empower you to

chart creative routes to market, visit:

www.innovolve.com

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