Green light

The principles of Earth-friendly construction run through the very fabric of Conservation House. Not only are the energy systems kind to the planet, but even the material specified for the office desking has a sound, eco-friendly make-up.

The Laminex Group manufactured and supplied many of the materials for the building's interiors and furniture. The company's focus is shifting towards a green emphasis and this initiative incorporates several current products from its Greenfirst range that have achieved Environmental Choice Certification.

Many of these were specified by architect Alice Cuttance for The Department of Conservation project with the furniture elements constructed from these materials built and supplied by Formway.

"Sustainability is essential to ensure that no damage is done in our generation that leaves the environment in a worse state than we found it," she says. "I feel any efforts by individuals and organisations such as the NZ Green Building Council and The Laminex Group to promote and develop sustainable design and building practices are essential to fulfilling the vision of healthy living spaces for the future."

Cuttance says the government is driving this change, with any new government building now having a green focus using sustainable products and ensuring energy efficiency and improved indoor air quality. Clearly Conservation House stands at the vanguard of this increasing ecology-focused initiative.

"In addition, the government is researching, advising and recommending initiatives and practices for building and design which facilitate a lesser impact on the environment in general," she says. "Examples include the Ministry for the Environment's Sustainable Office Fitout Guide and Govt3 Procurement Conferences. Under the Environmental Choice New Zealand certification scheme products that earn the Enviro-Choice tick are recommended based on their compliance with its green certification requirements."

Many of the products within The Laminex Group Greenfirst range have already earned the Enviro-Choice tick and more products are being added.

Important aspects covered by the scheme include recyclable attributes, sustainable manufacturing practices, minimising energy consumption in production, manufacturing and end use, and also minimising emissions both in manufacturing processes and when in use in the office environment.

"On this project, sustainable products specified included zero-emission wood fibre boards, sustainable certified timber, Linoleum flooring, recyclable acoustic wall lining panels, recyclable modular carpet tiles and non-PVC screen fabrics in workstations," she says. "The Greenfirst products, supplied by The Laminex Group, were specified for their improved environmental impact over standard or commonly used alternatives."

The pro-active approach taken by the Government is reinforced from the other end of the production process as well. Alan Buckner is CEO of Formway, the company creating DOC head office's workstations.

"Formway continuously looks for ways to reduce the environmental impact of our products and we appreciate working with clients that demand high environmental standards without compromising usability and performance," says Barnes. "Our environmental, design and supply teams worked closely with suppliers such as The Laminex Group to meet the requirements of The Department of Conservation. This applied to the DOC workstations built from E0-rated MDF board, which contains substantially reduced levels of formaldehyde."

He says an ongoing challenge for Formway is sourcing environmentally sustainable materials that are high quality, yet reliably supplied at competitive prices. To this end, Formway's procurement and environmental management team works with suppliers to understand the environmental performance of raw materials.

"We actively encourage clients to specify this board due to the benefits of reduced formaldehyde levels creating a sustainable future is a key component of our design philosophy."

For details on the Greenfirst range of products, contact The Laminex Group, phone (09) 571 4444, or visit the website: www.thelaminexgroup.co.nz.

Story by: Trendsideas