The Total Office achieves ‘LEED Silver Certification’ for its flagship Dubai showroom

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10 Oct 2012

The Total Office, a leading UAE-based company specializing in modern, ergonomic and environment friendly workspace solutions, has achieved ‘LEED Silver certification’ for its flagship showroom in Dubai, which is located in the Grosvenor Business Tower in Tecom.

The 7,000 sq.ft showroom is visually stunning and has been designed by Mehdi Moazzen from UAE-based design firm Point of Design. In just over a year since the inauguration of the showroom, the company has been certified in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for its commercial interiors. The move was facilitated by Energy Management Services International (EMS), the first company in the Middle East to provide energy management solutions, and follows the ‘LEED Certification’ that was awarded to The Total Office for its Abu Dhabi facility in 2010.

The LEED Green Building Rating System for Commercial Interiors is a set of performance standards for certifying a building's design and construction in order to promote healthy, durable, affordable, and environmentally sound practices in tenant space design and construction. In line with The Total Office’s commitment to the environment, the showroom follows the regulations of U.S. Green Building Council LEED version 3.0 for Commercial Interiors for high-performance green interiors that are healthy, productive places to work; are less costly; and have a reduced environmental footprint. On an average, The Total Office’s Dubai showroom uses 30 percent less energy than a typical showroom of the same size and utilizes technologies such as automatic dimming lights, LED lighting, energy saving appliances; and ensures indoor environment quality and water efficiency.

“Achieving LEED Silver Certification for our Dubai showroom represents our commitment towards reducing our carbon footprint and follows on from the LEED certification achieved for our Abu Dhabi facility, which was a first in the capital,” said Siddharth Peters, Managing Director, The Total Office. “The reality is that every person that walks into our showroom has the opportunity to see green building in action and more importantly we get to practice what we preach. Significantly, the manufacturers we partner with are also committed to creating sustainable working environments and so we have a range of green products in store including ergonomic chairs and energy-saving LED lighting.”

A closer look at the LEED certification process reveals that project has reduced potable water use by 24 percent from the calculated baseline design through the installation of low-flow kitchen sink and a 35.37 percent reduction in connected lighting power density was achieved using the whole building method. In addition, ENERGY STAR-rated equipment and appliances equal to 56.74 percent, by rated power, have been installed on the project. Further, the HVAC system has been designed so that every solar exposure has a separate control zone, interior spaces are separately zoned, and all private offices and specialty occupancies have active controls, which are capable of sensing space use and modulating the HVAC system in response to space demand.

“Having worked with EMS on the LEED Certification of both the Abu Dhabi and Dubai offices, we can say with certainty that operating a LEED facility is as practical and cost-effective as it is responsible. In addition to constantly evaluating the efficiency and performance of our facilities, we are in a unique position to advise and help clients meet their sustainability and environmental goals. The process of achieving this certification was comprehensive and has helped us better measure the impact our actions have on our employees, suppliers, community, customers, and environment," concluded Peters.

The LEED rated showroom displays the latest products from international commercial interior design brands like Teknion, Codutti, Emmegi, Blumohito, Casamania, CBS, HAG, RH, Manerba, Office Electrics, Orangebox, Idea Paint, Koenig & Neurath and Kusch & Co. It features innovative new designs from a vast product portfolio that support in creating healthy, productive work environments. The showroom also gives architects and interior designers a view of the best solutions and designs available for meeting emerging workplace trends and causing only the minimum environmental impact. The showroom features mock-up offices and extensive use of glass allowing natural light to penetrate. There are also a series of temporary and shared workstations typical of today’s open, collaborative and creative workplaces; and mock-ups of lobby, executive cabins, conference rooms and a coffee bar.