Discover new approaches to green design and sustainable building
with this comprehensive guide

There's a substantial amount of information designers and
architects need to understand about sustainability and commercial
projects, especially as expectations for professionals in the
industry become clearer. Luckily, the second edition of
Sustainable Commercial Interiors has been revamped to serve
as a comprehensive guide for anyone looking to understand the
latest in green and sustainable design. Fully revised throughout,
this resource now includes frameworks based on the new LEED v4
rating system, and provides fifteen brand-new case studies that
document green design and building strategies for all types of
projects. You'll find information on materials, furnishings,
finishes, product standards, and certifications, all designed to
keep you in the know and prepare you for future ventures in
sustainable design.

The ideal professional companion for interior designers,
commercial builders and developers, architects, and interior design
students, this guide is an all-in-one introduction to the most
essential topics in the industry, such as global environmental
issues, water and energy usage, and the tools of the trade, to name
just a few. The book is illustrated with full color images
throughout.

* Fully revised and updated to include information on the new
LEED v4 rating system

* Discusses the past, present, and future of sustainable
design

* Considers global environmental issues, such as waste, land use,
and bio-inspired design

* Covers water and energy usage and sustainable materials

Discover the benefits of green building and adopt new approaches
to sustainable design. Sustainable Commercial Interiors is
your go-to resource for navigating new expectations for responsible
interior design.

Penny Bonda is a Fellow of the U.S. Green Building
Council and the American Society of Interior Designers. She is the
founding chair and a principal author of LEED for Commercial
Interiors. Her organization, Ecoimpact Consulting, assists
businesses achieve a competitive advantage through
sustainability.

Katie Sosnowchik is a veteran journalist and former
magazine editor focusing on design and sustainability. She is now
communications director for HDR's global architecture practice,
helping share the firm's knowledge of how design thinking can shape
behaviors and outcomes, and how the design of buildings, spaces and
products can add meaning and value to clients.

Summer Minchew is a partner with Ecoimpact Consulting
specializing in sustainable design principles and green building
rating system project management and administration.

There's a substantial amount of information designers and architects need to understand about sustainability and commercial projects, especially as expectations for professionals in the industry become clearer. Luckily, the second edition of Sustainable Commercial Interiors has been revamped to serve as a comprehensive guide for anyone looking to understand the latest in green and sustainable design. Fully revised throughout, this resource now includes frameworks based on the new LEED v4 rating system, and provides fifteen brand-new case studies that document green design and building strategies for all types of projects. You'll find information on materials, furnishings, finishes, product standards, and certifications, all designed to keep you in the know and prepare you for future ventures in sustainable design.

The ideal professional companion for interior designers, commercial builders and developers, architects, and interior design students, this guide is an all-in-one introduction to the most essential topics in the industry, such as global environmental issues, water and energy usage, and the tools of the trade, to name just a few. The book is illustrated with full color images throughout.

• Fully revised and updated to include information on the new LEED v4 rating system
• Discusses the past, present, and future of sustainable design
• Considers global environmental issues, such as waste, land use, and bio-inspired design
• Covers water and energy usage and sustainable materials

Discover the benefits of green building and adopt new approaches to sustainable design. Sustainable Commercial Interiors is your go-to resource for navigating new expectations for responsible interior design.

Foreword Alex Wilson ix

Preface xi

Acknowledgments xiii

INTRODUCTION 1

Why We Wrote This Book 1

What You'll Find 1

Our Hopes for the Future 3

1 SUSTAINABLE DESIGN: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE 5

Sustainability Defined and Refined 6

Defining Green 8

What Is Green Design? 15

Overcoming the Obstacles to Sustainability 23

The Integrated Profession 30

Integrating Sustainability Into Your Design Practice: an Essay by Kendall Wilson 30

Making Integrated Design Work 33

The Design Charrette 38

Taking the Mystery Out of Commissioning 41

Commissioning the Interior Project: an Essay by Jay Enck 42

2 GLOBAL ISSUES: AN OVERVIEW 45

As the Earth Warms 46

Living Lightly on the Land 49

Wet Gold 55

Want Not, Waste a Lot 58

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow Still Green? an Essay by Alice Liao 65

Healthy Buildings, Healthy People 68

Bio-Inspired Design: What Can We Learn from Nature? an essay by Judith Heerwagen 71

The Journey Ahead an Essay by Bill Reed 79

3 SITES, WATER, AND ENERGY 83

Site Sustainability Matters: an essay by Gina Bocra 84

Matters of Site 86

Reducing Water Use 91

Optimizing Energy Use 101

Energy Efficiency in an Interiors Project: an essay by Marcus Sheffer 103

Lighting 108

Heating and Cooling 126

4 THE MATERIALS MAZE 133

Navigating the Materials Maze 134

Ask More Questions: an Essay by by Nadav Malin 135

Life Cycle Studies: A Comparison 144

Toxins 152

A Guide to Researching Sustainable Materials: an essay by Jean Hansen 159

Transparencyor Not 161

Natural Versus Synthetic Materials 168

Furnishings and Finishes: An Overview 172

Ceilings 196

Green Product Trends: an essay by Wanda Lau 198

5 THE INDOOR ENVIRONMENT 203

The Air That We Breathe 205

Interior Design: First Step toward Providing Good IAQ: an Essay by Marilyn Black 205

The Elusive Thermal Comfort 216

Noise: The Other Pollutant 218

Let There Be (Day)light 221

Why Daylighting?: an essay by Nancy Clanton 222

The Importance of Views 235

6 THE TOOLS OF OUR TRADE 241

Green Building Organizations, Rating Systems, and Design Guides 246

Product Standards and Certifications 271

Green Product Information Programs 291

Specifications 298

Four Steps to Greening Your Specifications: an essay by Ross Speigel 298

The Sustainable Library 301

7 THE BUSINESS CASE FOR GREEN DESIGN 303

Building a Tangible Symbol 305

Making the Case 308

The Economics of a Green Work Space: an essay by Bill Browning 313

An Integrated Whole 329

8 THE BUSINESS CASE FOR GREEN DESIGN 331

What Do Green Professionals Do? An Essay by Holley Henderson 332

Great Expectations 333

U.S. Green Building Council Headquarters, Washington, D.C. 333

Dynamic Energy 340