10.22.10 | Muscatine, IA | For the second consecutive year, Allsteel Inc. has been recognized by the Green GOOD DESIGN™ Award from The European Center for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum. This year, Allsteel took home honors in the Product Design category for its new Stride systems furniture, and also in the Architecture category for the design of the Allsteel/Gunlocke Toronto Resource Center.

“It’s truly an honor to be recognized in this way as a leader in developing uncompromising designs while upholding our commitment to sustainability,” said Keri Luly, Allsteel’s Manager of Sustainability Programs and LEED AP. “We’re especially proud to be cited for both our product and our own workplace—a double win that reflects the breadth of our dedication to applying sustainable practices to all aspects of our business.”

Allsteel/Gunlocke Toronto Resource Center

Stride is Allsteel’s next generation workplace that was designed in collaboration with Mitch Bakker, of IDa Design, to be an integrated kit of parts that can create an open plan or private office, traditional panel-based or light-scale desking. More importantly, Stride is a true achievement in sustainability. It’s Allsteel’s first furniture solution that’s been conceived and built from the ground up to be Cradle-to-Cradle certified, Indoor Advantage Gold certified and level 2 certified to the BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard.

Allsteel ensures that 100% of the energy used to produce Stride is offset with the purchase of Green-e Energy certified wind renewable energy certificates (REC) from the Midwest. The company localizes as much production as possible, with more than 90 percent of the components and inputs on the series produced within a 500-mile radius. Allsteel also turned its attention to smarter packaging for Stride, reducing it to be 60 percent less than conventional wraps and cartons. This means more product can be loaded into a truck, reducing, as well, the number of trucks required to deliver a job, and, in turn, reducing CO2 emissions.

The Allsteel/Gunlocke Toronto Resource Center, designed by figure3, is the ideal venue in Canada to showcase both companies’ products. Located in the historic 1899 Toronto Carpet Factory Boiler House, the showroom earned LEED Canada for Commercial Interiors (CI) Gold Certification. It’s one of the first eight facilities in Toronto to earn the gold-level certification using the Canadian system, and represents the sixth showroom housing the two companies to be LEED-certified.

Figure3 transformed the 7,965-square-foot space into a stunning showcase reflecting the distinct personalities of both brands, while respecting the structure’s historical past and focusing on reviving as much of the original building materials as possible. The dramatic design features exposed brick walls, steel architectural elements, 50-foot ceilings, and a glass-enclosed boardroom that’s suspended from the ceiling.

The Green GOOD DESIGN award recognizes organizations and individuals that place a strong emphasis on sustainable design and the environment. In its second year, the Green GOOD DESIGN program is recognizing more than 150 products, programs, individuals, governments, environmental planning initiatives and architectural installations from the thousands of submissions received from 46 nations. The complete list of winners is available at www.europeanarch.eu.

For more on Allsteel’s commitment to sustainability, please visit http://www.allsteeloffice.com/alltogethernow.

About Allsteel Inc.

Allsteel Inc., which is headquartered in Muscatine, IA, designs, builds and delivers workplace furniture solutions. The company holds firm to a belief that there’s always a better way to improve efficiency and foster teamwork…another possibility to find solutions that increase the bottom line and deliver long-term value…a new opportunity to help a business be more effective. Allsteel has distinguished itself with award-winning products such as Acuity seating, Align workstations, Merge conferencing tables, and Stride, its latest workplace solution that’s designed to evolve with the needs of a business. Allsteel was the first office furniture manufacturer to have all products certified either Indoor Advantage or Indoor Advantage Gold, and the majority of the line can contribute to LEED-CI credits. The company has Resource Centers in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York, San Francisco, Santa Monica and Washington, D.C., and Toronto, ON. For additional information, visit www.allsteeloffice.com.