10.28.09 | Toronto, ON | Teknion Corporation today announced that its new Santa Monica showroom has garnered the LEED  (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in the Commercial Interiors (CI) category. In addition, Teknion’s Boston showroom has attained LEED Silver-CI. The internationally recognized LEED green building certification system provides third-party verification that a building was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across important  metrics including energy savings, water efficiency and CO2 emissions reduction.

“Significant within our sustainability efforts is to support the safest, healthiest work environment possible for each individual user, with minimum impact on the environment,” said Scott Deugo, Senior Vice President, Design, Marketing and Sustainable Development. “We take a holistic approach with our sustainability programs, from the design of our products, processes used in their manufacture, selection of raw materials, suppliers we collaborate with, right through to the design of our showrooms. LEED certification of two more showrooms verifies our commitment and the results of our ongoing sustainability objectives.”

The Santa Monica showroom was created by Vanderbyl Design of San Francisco, Calif., in conjunction with architect of record Pollack Architecture. Located at 1556 20th Street, the showroom opened in May of 2009. The Boston showroom is situated at 263 Summer Street and was designed by The Baker Design Group. It opened last year.

Two other Teknion showrooms attained LEED certification in 2008. The new San Francisco space was awarded LEED for Commercial Interiors Gold, and the Ottawa showroom attained LEED Canada for Commercial Interiors Silver certification from the Canada Green Building Council.

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LEED Green Building Certification Program

The LEED green building certification program is a voluntary, consensus-based national rating system for buildings designed, constructed and operated for improved environmental and human health performance. LEED addresses all building types and emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies in five areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials and resources selection, and indoor environmental quality.

U.S. Green Building Council

The USGBC is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. and committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC's mission is to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.

Teknion Corporation is a leading international designer, manufacturer and marketer of office systems and related office furniture products. Teknion headquarters are located in Toronto, Ontario. The company has offices and facilities in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, India, Russia and Malaysia, and serves clients through a network of authorized dealers worldwide. Visit Teknion at www.teknion.com.