Herman Miller: Where Green Manufacturing is Company Tradition.

Herman Miller walks the talk where the green office is concerned.

By 2020, the company plans to minimize solid, air, and water emissions; establish a LEED silver certification for its buildings; use 100% green energy; and sell 100% DfE-approved products.

This builds on a proud Herman Miller company tradition of sustainable design and construction - its headquarters was recognized as one of the first "green" office and manufacturing complexes in the U.S., with corresponding high numbers in employee productivity.

So we're only following in the revered Herman Miller way when we at Cubicles.com offer remanufactured Herman Miller cubicles in our product lineup.

Our remanufactured cubicles look brand-new, but have been painstakingly reconstructed from pre-used Herman Miller cubes; they're engineered to look, feel, and work like the brand-new product!

Just look at the extremes we reach to ensure that our cubicles are made with as little impact to the environment as possible:

Rethinking Office Cubicles?

Image of cubicles © Arjun Kartha.

Office cubicles just work for many companies. They're compact, efficient working spaces. They rationalize the use of office space. Finally, office cubicles offer an egalitarian solution that many highly-stratified companies turn to when communication breaks down between layers in the corporate hierarchy.

But has the time come to reconsider cubicles?

Consider this: layoffs are decimating the workforce - gaps in the cubicle village are starting to show. The space-saving cubicle is becoming obsolete in offices with office space to spare.

At the same time, a growing chunk of the remaining workforce has a different view of cubicle hierarchy: the enclosed walls clash with a millennial generation that values face time.

"Office design is going from an 'I' to 'we' concept," says designer Collin Burry of Gensler, the global architectural and design firm. "Millennials would be miserable sitting in a closed office all day long."

Companies now face the challenge of integrating the differing workspace demands of multiple generations within the same office. Case in point, healthcare concern McKesson and their redesigned office space:

New Generation Office Chair Flexes its Muscle.

Office chairs have been around for as long as there've been offices. Is there anything new under the green fluorescent office glow?

Knoll's new Generation office chair could be it: the ideal synthesis of materials and design, coming together to bring near-complete freedom of movement to the worker lucky enough to rest his bottom on one.

The Generation's top 10 inches flex with your back to a near-extreme 90-degree recline. The seat pad can slide forward to reach just the right point behind the knee.

Elastomer upholstery (an open-weave backrest made from a rubber/plastic mix) and a close application of holistic ergonomics has created a chair with enough flexibility to adapt to a wide range of seating postures.

Lean back to watch the fluorescent lights throb, and the chair will bend to your will. Sit straight up, and the chair offers ideal lumbar support.

Knoll partnered with Formway Design to produce the Generation chair. The seat retails for $995 (the armless version) to $1,860 for higher-end models in assorted finishes.

Fastcompany.com reviewed three office chairs - including the Generation chair, which more than held its own against two other office seating stalwarts. Watch the video below, and when you're done, find out more about the Generation chair by Knoll by reading this article: Generation Chair.

Ikea Rescues New York's Thinnest Townhouse.

How in the world do you furnish New York's slimmest townhouse?

This $2.7 million property in the heart of Greenwich Village is centrally located and has been home to some of New York's foremost personalities, among them Cary Grant and John Barrymore.

The size limitations are quite daunting - 9.5 feet by 42 feet. Sorry, baby grand. Goodbye, king-size bed. And I guess your dreams of having a penthouse-level ballroom will have to go.

But the owner, Stephen Balsamo, seems to have made the most out of the townhouse's slim margin of space. The New York Post reports -

In the kitchen, a custom stove has all four burners in a single row, rather than the usual two-by-two arrangement. The three floors are all open, but the balconies overlooking the garden were extended, adding depth to make up for lack of width. [..]

Visitors to the home expect to find it dark and claustrophobic, but as a result of the sweeping windows in the back, "every floor has amazing light," Nicholas said.

But who's got furniture that can fit in these tight situations? Enter Swedish manufacturer (and furnisher of divorced men's apartments) IKEA - whoever snaps up this Greenwich Village steal will also score free design advice and $10,000 in IKEA furniture.

Janice Simonsen, IKEA design expert and spokesperson, says "We're so in love with small spaces that we're putting an offer on the table... albeit a skinny table."

Obama, the Green President.

The President of the United States is serious when he says the environment is a top priority of his administration. This week, the President's walking-the-talk on green issues comes through General Motors, and interestingly enough, the White House.

At a GM plant in Ohio, President Obama hailed the new fuel economy standards that would decrease greenhouse gases and provide clear directions for auto designers.

“For too long,” the president told the autoworkers, “our auto companies faced uncertain and conflicting fuel economy standards. That made it difficult for you to plan down the road. That’s why, today, we are launching—for the first time in history—a new national standard aimed at both increasing gas mileage and decreasing greenhouse gas pollution for all new cars and trucks sold in America. This action will give our auto companies some long-overdue clarity, stability, and predictability.”

This Week in Weird Cubicle Design...

Jurgen Bey believes that the cubicle concept shouldn't be limited to the four walls of one's office. Set the cubicle free!

Bey's "Slow Car" concept takes an ordinary office cubicle and puts it on wheels. The concept gives a new twist to the phrase "cubicle jockeys"; one can sit down to work on the road, unfettered by the office, claiming the highway for your company!

Case Study: Ergonomic Chairs Deliver on EGL's Investment

Ergonomic chairs are a crucial part of an efficient office setup. Coupled with remanufactured cubicles, you get a double load off your conscience: a green and healthy office at the same time!

For example, the European Gemological Laboratory (EGL USA) asked Cubicles.com to help put their New York office together. The office would serve as a telemarketing hub seating a hundred employees; each station would need to be ergonomically sound, and costs would need to be kept low.

Cubicles.com completed the job with pre-owned Steelcase and Herman Miller workstations, as well as five dozen Eurotech ergonomic chairs. Completed in August 2003, the new office continues to serve an essential role in the EGL network: an environment-friendly and ergonomically satisfying workplace that continues to reap significant returns on EGL's investment.

Proceed to this page to see how Cubicles.com delivered on its commitment to EGL: Cubicles.com EGL page.

Efficiency - Green Energy's Ugly Sister.

Efficiency - the other side of green energy - just isn't as sexy. You don't see a lot of celebrities touting efficiency. The few who do (cough cough Ed Begley cough) just aren't that cool.

People think of efficiency along the lines of reasons other than sustainable living. Take electricity conservation - when asked why they reduce electricity consumption, over 72% of the public named cost reduction as their primary reason, says a new study from the Shelton Group.

Only 26% said they had the environment first on their mind. Another 40% mistakenly believed that generating electricity hurt the ozone layer.

A shame, really - over $1.2 trillion in potential savings can be realized by 2020 if the U.S. invests $520 billion in efficiency improvements, if a new McKinsey survey is to be believed.

The McKinsey report cites a number of "success stories" that could serve as models for other national policies. The list includes federal appliance energy-efficiency standards that have saved Americans an estimated $50 billion over 12 years; California's incredible efficiency efforts; and heroic local efforts.

One local effort of particular note finances renewable energy and efficiency improvements by raising property taxes, allowing homeowners to avoid skyrocketing up-front costs.

The California plan works this way: the municipality covers the up-front costs. The homeowner then provides reimbursement through taxes.

Earth Savers Go Pedal-Powered.

Green energy be damned, battery powered cars aren't the only way you can tap energy in an environment-friendly manner. People are getting turned on to the original green energy - the bicycle.

Mother Earth News shows you how you can transform your morning stationary-bike session into an alternative power source - this power-bike can produce 5 to 10 amps of power continuously.

This power-bike's builder isn't the only one - David Butcher sells plans for his power-bike, claiming excellent results (both in terms of calories burned, and energy generated):

The Pedal Generator I ride charges batteries, that run an inverter, that produces 110v AC, that powers LED lights, the monitor on my computer, my cell phones, and charges my Roomba as well as many other small battery-powered things. It is the most inspiring workout you can imagine.

LEED and Green Buildings: A Big Letdown?

A LEED certification is a must-have for a green building, a mark of excellence that any environmentally-conscious builder can leverage into tax credits and bragging rights.

LEED stands for "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" - its certifications are overseen by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit organization that is now the country's numero uno watchdog for green and sustainable buildings.

But apparently a "gap between design and construction" is becoming apparent, according to the New York Times' Mireya Navarro:

Solar Panel Price Drop Delights Green Building Contractors.

The New York Times reports that a crucial piece of the green building puzzle just got a lot cheaper:

For solar shoppers these days, the price is right. [Solar] Panel prices have fallen about 40 percent since the middle of last year, driven down partly by an increase in the supply of a crucial ingredient for panels, according to analysts at the investment bank Piper Jaffray.

The price drops — coupled with recently expanded federal incentives — could shrink the time it takes solar panels to pay for themselves to 16 years, from 22 years, in places with high electricity costs, according to Glenn Harris, chief executive of SunCentric, a solar consulting group.

The price drop can be attributed to worldwide increases in solar panel production, coupled with a global drop in demand. Polysilicon, an essential ingredient in solar panels, has increased in availability thanks to more plants making the stuff in China.

Getting a Green Office Makeover: Start Small!

You can't see it from the outside, but the Empire State Building is transforming itself into an eco-friendly building, thanks to a $20 million green office makeover that aims to cut its energy consumption by almost 40%.

By current estimates, its transformation into a green office will reduce the Empire State Building's annual CO2 emissions by some 105,000 metric tons.

That's a major step, considering that the tower's emerald lights on St. Patrick's day were about as green as it normally got before now!

There's a simple objective behind any green office makeover, even one as expansive as the Empire State Building's: reduce the organization's impact on the environment. Awareness is job number one - most organizations aren't even conscious of their massive footprint on Mother Earth.

"We depend on paper, plastic and other materials to communicate and transmit goods," says Annex Brands marketing VP Steve Goble. "Unfortunately, it's all too easy to lose sight of the amount of resources we use when completing these tasks, but by taking a few simple steps, people can greatly reduce excess waste."

Taking steps to a green office could be as simple as recycling paper, using electronics with the Energy Star power feature, switching appliances off at the power source (instead of letting them "sleep", draining even more energy), and installing eco-friendly office lighting.

Turn Your Office Green Without Compromising the Bottom Line.

Office furnishing is tough enough when you’ve got a budget to stick to, even more so when you prefer to purchase furniture that has a minimal impact on the environment.

You can solve both problems by turning to green, remanufactured office cubicles and furniture.

Thanks to the ongoing recession, used office furniture has reached new highs in supply and new lows in cost. Modern remanufacturing techniques can give them a new lease on life, creating products that are re-engineered to look, feel, and work like their brand new counterparts.

Cubicles.com’s remanufacturing process is a perfect case in point.

Cubicles.com goes to great lengths to totally repurpose the original cubicles. More than 85% of the original furnishings are incorporated into the finished cubicles; only 1,000 pounds of every 60,000 pounds of furniture received weekly goes back to the landfill.

Cubicles.com also resorts to sustainable practices that make a minimum impact on the environment. Cubicles.com’s powder coat painting process reclaims unused paint and emits fewer toxic chemicals. Discarded materials are recycled or used as shipping material. Even the signature fabrics used in the remanufactured cubicles are actually made from recycled materials like plastic bottles.

An unmistakably high-quality product comes out at the end, one with a surprisingly affordable price tag. At last, Cubicles.com remanufactured office furniture lets you satisfy your inner environmentalist… without alarming your inner accountant.

Green Office Trends

The green office is here to stay, as more office managers realize that going green is more than a conscientious effort to save the planet, it also protects the health of their employees and saves the bottom line.

The green office trend may already be in your workplace, showing up as one or more of these things:

Telepresence. Google uses high tech in deceptively simple ways to minimize its carbon footprint. For example, business travel has been slashed to a bare minimum through the use of videoconferencing, reports the New York Times - not a tiny gesture when you consider that Google has 119 offices all around the world.

“Hundreds of meetings per day are done via videoconference,” says Google project manager Adam Banks. “The technology is primarily about making the company work better, but it has the nice effect of saving on carbon as well.”

Celebrity Green - Julia Stiles Brings It.

While we at Cubicles.com are proud of our remanufactured office cubicles and their raw materials - like the Terratex fabrics we use for our cubicles, made from 100% recycled material using sustainable manufacturing methods - we're not above having a laugh at green marketing that, er, goes off the loopy end.

As far as we can tell, Julia Stiles' tongue-in-cheek "Julia Stiles Styles" video parodies celebrity green bandwagon-jumping: she presents weird green fashion ensembles that even we, green enthusiasts that we are, have trouble embracing.

For our part, we would never steal ideas for our office cubicles from homeless dudes in South America. Not that we're ruling it out.

To Green or Not to Green?

Office spaces these days aspire to be both efficient and environment-friendly… but achieving both takes some doing. Yes, it’s important to make an office more productive, but how can you do that in a greener, more earth-friendly way? How do you furnish your office and boost employee morale, without leaving the planet in the dumpster?

It’s actually easier than you think. Here are ten ways you can have your earth-friendly cake and eat it too, by choosing remanufactured office cubicles:

1. Minimize your impact on the environment with green furniture. Remanufactured office furniture rescues old furnishings from the landfill or the incinerator, minimizing the impact of these items on the environment. Recycled furniture gets taken out of the waste cycle, and placed back on the consumer market. This leads to less waste and fewer pollutants released into the atmosphere.

2. Green furniture is more cost-effective. Remanufactured office furniture looks and performs just like its brand new counterparts; yet offer up to 50% savings compared to new. This leaves you with more funds to allocate to more essential areas of your budget – something you need in a recession-plagued economy!

3. Green furniture is just as good – if not better – than brand new. Modern remanufacturing techniques have raised the bar for remanufactured office furniture. Green furniture is reassembled to match brand new office furniture in both form and function – replacing worn parts and discolored fabrics, refinishing desktops, and repainting panels. The end result is just as good as brand-new in all respects – with the added bonus of knowing you’ve done your part to save the earth!

4. Green furniture increases your use of recycled materials. Office furniture is typically replaced within a period of 10 years, long before any serious wear occurs. This explains the high reusability rate of remanufactured office furniture - more than 85% of the original material makes it into the remanufactured product. The other 15% consists of material recycled from other sources – the new fabrics used by Cubicles.com in their remanufactured cubicles are actually made from recycled plastic bottles.

5. When you buy green furniture, you contribute to a fast-growing sector of the economy. The office furniture remanufacturing industry is a significant sector of the commercial furniture business, earning about $1.2 billion in revenues a year. The business continues to grow, aided by new remanufacturing techniques and a growing supply of raw material. This just goes to show that green furniture isn’t just a worthwhile environmental goal – it’s good business, too.

6. Green furniture offers a constantly expanding product line. The recession has caused an increase in the supply of cubicles on the market, resulting in an increase in both supply and demand for remanufactured office furniture. The choices for conscientious businesses have never been greater, or more affordable.

7. A green office leads to less waste. Remanufactured office furniture extends the life of office furniture, the casualties of a wasteful procurement industry. It’s estimated that U.S. companies buy about 3 million desks, 16.5 million chairs, 4.5 million tables, and 11 million file cabinets a year – with half of this amount reaching the dumpsters at the same time. Remanufactured furniture short-circuits this process – items are spared from a pollution-spewing fate and put back to good use, for less than the cost of buying brand-new furniture.

8. Green furniture is good for your health. Think of all the emissions produced in the manufacture of brand new office furniture – volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a common byproduct of the furniture making process, contributing to air pollution and extracting an equivalent cost to manufacturers and end-users alike. Green office producers like Cubicles.com use less harmful manufacturing techniques, like using powder-based finishing coats that create less waste and minimize VOC emissions.

9. Green furniture is flexible and grows with your company. Modern cubicles are designed for quick disassembly, and the remanufactured cubicles derived from them are no less flexible. The lower price point attached to these items increases the end-user’s latitude for choice, enabling them to pursue more ambitious solutions with a smaller budget at hand.

10. Using recycled furniture advertises your company's commitment to corporate responsibility. There’s great cachet in being the first business on your block to embrace green office furnishing practices – this gives you a great talking point for clients, and also provides a foothold for increased office morale. After all, isn’t it wonderful to work for a company that serves a greater purpose than just the bottom line?

"Clean and Green" makes headway in office furnishing

If you think “doing green business” is just a passing fashion, you’ve got another think coming – green trends have created a $227 billion a year marketplace for sustainable products and services, a figure estimated to hit the $1 trillion mark by 2020.

This is a large (and growing) market - and their clout is making itself felt in the $10-billion-dollar office furniture industry. Increasing attention is being paid to how the process of creating office furniture impacts the environment.

For example, the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released during the production process may contribute to air pollution and health problems down the road.

Also, the average 10-year lifespan of office furniture raises concerns that a great volume of furnishings are sent to the landfills long before they’re due.

As a result, remanufactured furniture is looking better and better. New techniques in refurbishing office furniture create a whole new world of possibilities for environment-conscious companies.

Remanufacturing companies take previously used cubicles and other office furniture, replace the fabrics and work surfaces, and reassemble them again, the end result costing up to 70% less than equivalent brand-new furniture. A whole office can be remodeled this way, at a fraction of the cost of using new cubicles.

Cubicles.com’s line of cubicles takes this idea of value engineering for the earth’s sake and runs with it. By sticking to a simple yet all-encompassing philosophy of reducing, reusing, and recycling as much as possible from the original material, Cubicles.com manages to reuse up to 85% of the source into its remanufactured furniture.

Cubicles.com offers a wide range of pre-owned models sourced from respected brands like Herman Miller, Knoll & Steelcase. The look, feel, and function are almost indistinguishable from brand-new cubicles – you wouldn’t even know it was remanufactured, green furniture if you weren’t told it was.

Saving the earth isn’t just a feel-good platitude; it’s good business. As more workers wake up to the impact their enterprises are making on the Earth, companies like Cubicles.com are stepping up to help them do their part for the environment, and save big in the process.

Ergonomics in Unlikely Places.

Think only desk jockeys need ergonomic chairs? Even Air Force flyboys are getting in on the act - according to AFLink, outfitters have added new ergonomic seats to AWACS aircraft.

I'm betting this is good news down on the Air Force barracks; operators aboard the AWACS-equipped E-3 Sentrys fly 12 to 14-hour missions at a stretch, which takes its toll on the body.

The old seat designs had been in place since the 1970s, the Stone Age as far as ergonomics is concerned. No lumbar support; no adjustment features; and the wrong kind of padding for long missions.

According to Paul Zauner, the manager in charge of the program switching the seats on the domestic AWACS fleet, operators have to keep stretching back muscles, resulting in "fatigue and greater inattention to scope activity."

"The current E-3 seats are not designed for crew efficiency over long AWACS' flight and mission profiles," Zauner summarizes.

Not so with the new seats; the newly-installed ergonomic chairs aboard the AWACS fleet should alleviate back and neck stress for operators on each flight. 14 sets of seats have been installed so far on four airplanes; all 32 E-3s are expected to undergo this refit over the next year or so.

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