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Healthy Office Fitouts with Green Star – Interiors

27 February 2009

Property industry leaders came together last night in Auckland to celebrate the launch of the Green Star - Office Interiors 2009 rating tool in PILOT, the latest building rating tool to be released by the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC)

The Green Building Council's newest rating tool is good news for kiwi office-workers. With more than 40% of the average New Zealand office-worker's waking hours spent in office buildings and international research showing that green office fitouts are better for the health and productivity of those who work in them.

Green Star - Office Interiors 2009 has been developed for use by designers and tenants in scoping and designing their office fitouts, giving them the opportunity to be recognised and rewarded for their green building achievements.

The Green Star - Office Interiors rating tool is the third in a suite of rating tools for office buildings under the Green Star environmental rating system, complementing current rating tools for whole building design and construction. The NZGBC has also recently released a PILOT rating tool to rate industrial buildings in the design and construction phases.

A Green Star rated fitout promotes plenty of natural light and task lighting on work stations; low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) finishes and paints; low emission and recycled content fabrics for furnishings; and offices that avoid toxic wood panel products and laminates.

“We’re excited about giving the New Zealand property industry and tenants of commercial property the opportunity to choose office fitouts that provide healthier, more productive work-places and which also have less impact on our natural environment”, says Jane Henley, NZGBC Chief Executive.

International research has clearly shown that green office fitouts are not just better for the environment but, they are also better for the health and productivity of those who work in them, with poor indoor air quality and toxic fumes from a range of building materials including paints, wood products and carpets affecting the health and productivity of office workers, she says.

"We must drive office fitouts that recycle and re-use where possible. Up to 40% of waste going to landfill is from construction and demolition activities, a staggering proportion of that is waste from the churn of fitouts and refurbishments - up to 32% of all waste going to landfill.

With most New Zealand offices undergoing a new fitout every seven to ten years there is an opportunity for change, and the Green Star - Office Interiors rating tool will help do that”, said Ms Henley.

The Council consulted widely with experts and practitioners in interior design, architectural and manufacturing organisations throughout the development phase. The tool will be revised and updated as necessary on an annual basis. The NZGBC is now seeking feedback on the Green Star – Interiors PILOT tool from the industry before projects can be registered to be certified under the tool.

The NZGBC is looking forward to working with two of the sponsors of the Green Star – Interiors PILOT rating tool who will test the tool on their own projects this year. BNZ is targeting a Green Star rating under the Green Star – Interiors tool with Quay Park 1 in the Britomart Precinct; and IAG is targeting a Green Star rating with the NZI Centre on Fanshaw Street.