Each seating area in Milliken’s Chicago showroom has its own lighting controls. Keeping the design open provides access to daylight throughout the space. >> Photo by Hedrick Blessing

This green building adventure unfolds in the Windy City with the gathering of a design team of mixed Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) heritage. Its first collaborative project: the renovation of space in the world’s largest commercial building to achieve LEED for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) 2.0. With a showroom destined for Gold in Chicago, the team turns its energy to the Big Apple.

Policy driving the action began at the corporate headquarters of Milliken & Company in Spartanburg, S.C. As a founding member of U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the international chemical and textile manufacturer has supported higher-performance green buildings for many years. In late 2006, the company committed to developing its facilities around the world in accordance with the USGBC’s LEED Green Building Rating System toward certification at Gold or higher levels.

The Milliken Contract Showroom at the Chicago Merchandise Mart served as the launch collaboration for Milliken’s internal project team with Chicago-based Q Studio as architect/designer; Catalyst Partners as LEED consultant; Bear Construction as general contractor; DBHMS as commissioning firm; McKernin Exhibits for runway sculpture; Commerce Color for custom wallpaper; Chicago Cabinet and Fixture for millwork; One Source for new furniture; and the Merchandise Mart as building owner. Encompassing 4.2 million square feet, Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc.’s Merchandise Mart Chicago earned LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) Silver certification in 2007.

By April 2007, Milliken had signed contracts to move toward certification in the showroom and met with contractors, engineers and other project team members, including a review of all prerequisites that must be met by the Merchandise Mart systems in the leased showroom to obtain LEED certification.

Catalyst Partners, a West Michigan-based consortium actively engaged in the development and implementation of sustainable design protocols for buildings, interiors, and products, served as the LEED-CI consultant. “Once more, the LEED for Commercial Interiors Rating System proved to be a challenging but realistic framework for sustainability, even for Milliken’s high-design project located in a mammoth 75-year old building,” said Catalyst Partners President Keith Winn.

Catalyst played a key role in filling knowledge gaps for those new to LEED. John Seegers and Catherine Severson are founding partners of Chicago-based Q Studio, an interior architecture firm specializing in workspaces, showrooms and retail environments.

Seegers found clear benefits of having LEED expertise available from day one.

“At the project kickoff meeting, Catalyst Partners provided specific performance criteria requirements to the team and explained the intent of each credit. Their presentation erased a lot of uncertainty among those members who hadn’t participated in a LEED project before,” Seegers explained. “From that point on, we were able to draw upon the resources of the entire project team for specific items like the metal studs from the contractor and the long-term lease commitment from The Merchandise Mart.”

Not surprisingly, lighting was the biggest design challenge on several levels. After finding a space with natural light in the existing building, it was necessary to use an efficient lighting system that made the products look good. The solutions included independently controlled zones, using less structure to maintain an open environment true to the natural light and reflective finishes.

The iconic clock built into the New York showroom’s cafe is easily recognizable as a design element repurposed from the original Milliken building on 6th Avenue. The natural light and views were factors in site selection for the team when seeking LEED certification. >> Photo by Adrian Wilson

According to Q Studio, the key to success was ensuring adequate lighting to highlight the product while reducing the allowable watts per square foot measurements 25 percent below the allowable criteria. “Through the use of mockups within the space, we were able to make sure that the product looked its best without sacrificing color and brightness under the new metal halide lights,” Seegers explained.

From a design perspective, the team was essentially converting a long, narrow space into an environment that met a range of function demands—daily business, entertainment during trade shows, and product display, while reflecting the client’s commitment to design and sustainable building. The linear sculpture is angled to enhance new carpet designs. Two lounge areas provide seating for small group presentations. Low- to no- VOC finishes and materials were used throughout, including millwork and displays containing no added urea formaldehyde. Furniture, lighting and AV were re-used from other Milliken facilities, and more than 40 percent of the interior elements from the old space were retained in the new.

When Milliken’s Chicago showroom opened in June 2007 at NeoCon, it was awarded as Best Large Showroom and the Best Overall Showroom in the Best of Show awards sponsored by IIDA and Contract Magazine. Notice of achieving LEED for Commercial Interiors 2.0 – Gold certification came in October.

As Milliken continued its work with Q Studio and Catalyst Partners in New York, the lessons learned through this collaborative effort became more evident. Most importantly, the company appreciated the benefits of starting the process with LEED criteria as guidelines and assembling the right team up front. Having LEED-savvy team members to drive the process and educate from the beginning was a value learned in Chicago and Catalyst was involved at the initial meetings in New York.

“In New York, our biggest advantage was being educated on the requirements of designing within LEED criteria from the start,” said Debbie Powell, Senior Buyer with Milliken Global Purchasing. “From the first site selection discussions we knew what would help—daylight views, metered power, the ability to redo restrooms to conserve water, HVAC energy efficiency—and that information steered decisions.”

Having a landlord or building owner that is on-board with green building principles was a deal breaker in New York. Although landlord’s agent, Sierra Realty, was not leasing commercial space as “green,” Milliken’s New York showroom has been a conversion and is now a showcase viewed as an opportunity to upgrade the building.

Working with the Merchandise Mart in Chicago was instructive on this point. Since the Mart was seeking LEED certification for the entire building at the same time Milliken was renovating showroom space, management was very supportive and had an appreciation of green building requirements. While training in green construction is not required of landlords, having one that is accommodating during the build-out phase may determine if the lease should be signed.

“The more active ones are trying to understand what they need to do and to be educated on the process,” Powell explained.

Milliken’s New York facility, which is also registered with LEED for Commercial Interiors, is the result of a partnership with Q Studio; Catalyst Partners; Mancini Duffy Architecture Design; CFS Engineering; ADN Construction Group; JD Audio and Video Design; Signature Design and Construction and New World Energy Services.

Transparent interior walls keep the space open to spectacular wrap-around views of the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and the Hudson River, allowing natural light to enhance nearly every aspect of the showroom. Furniture groupings and carpet insets define areas for the different Milliken floor covering businesses. Curved forms accentuate the visual flow within the space.

Additional sustainable features include: ceramic metal halide lamps; daylight sensors to turn off artificial light when natural light is sufficient; millwork and displays containing no added urea formaldehyde; modular carpet installed with bio-based and adhesive free TractionBack to improve IAQ; and low-VOC paint and adhesives. Because Milliken leases the entire floor, the team was able to make changes to the plumbing and HVAC systems, impossible at the Chicago location. For example, the showroom incorporates a heat recovery unit, and the outdated restrooms were replaced with flow-efficient fixtures and a Falcon waterfree urinal.

As homage to Milliken’s design history, classic elements from the original Milliken offices on 6th Avenue were integrated into the space at 875 Avenue of the Americas in the Greeley Square Building. Teak paneling from the elevator lobby was re-purposed. Classic Florence Knoll furniture from the 1950s was recovered and restored. An iconic silver clock easily recognized by Milliken visitors is built into the new café millwork.

John Stivers, consultant with Catalyst Partners with the Milliken projects noted that the Chicago experience was an asset in lighting design, which is one of primary ways in LEED for Commercial Interiors to satisfy the new global warming requirements. “LEED criteria are good for the long term,” he said.

Lighting is typically an energy hog in retail space and lighting design remains both a challenge and an opportunity for innovation according to Milliken’s Powell, who observed that the team gave up potential LEED points to be in spec and maintain the desired effect for both retail and office space.

Differences between the two cities were not critical to the process. While the New York showroom is not in a LEED-EB building, the location supports credits around urban density and public transportation. New York also offered the option of changing out HVAC and restrooms. The team was able to seek space that would meet LEED criteria from the beginning in New York designing from the ground up with those criteria in mind. As with any building project, it is important to know the local rules and regulations and their impacts.

“Investing time in Chicago paid off in New York,” Powell confirmed. “We saw the learning curve translate into a quicker process time that cut the lease to occupying cycle dramatically.”

Another benefit of the design collaboration is improved function flexibility. “We are able to accommodate more people with less space. Incorporating hoteling into the space planning serves a transient work force and avoids wasting space by giving everyone a cubicle,” Powell said.

For the design team, “The biggest lesson learned was not to be afraid to try new technologies,” said Seegers. “Having gone through the process for the first time, it was not very difficult to design within the LEED parameters. The design for the showroom wasn’t compromised in any way and forced everyone on the team to think of their actions in larger terms.”



Sustainable Facility will feature editorial on the LEED-EB Silver Merchandise Mart facility in the November 2008 issue.

Sidebar

Facility Overview
Site: Milliken Merchandise Mart Showroom
Location: Chicago
Certifications: Milliken Showroom, LEED-CI; Merchandise Mart, LEED-EB

Materials & Resources
MDF (Medium Density Fiber Board): 100 percent recovered & recycled wood fiber, formaldehyde-free manufactured by Sierrra Pine ( www.sierrapine.com )

Paint: Eco Spec Interior Latex, GREENGUARD and Greenseal certified, low-VOC paint by Benjamin Moore ( www.benjaminmoore.com )

Lighting
Lamps: Philips MasterColor Integrated 25W Par38 Ceramic Metal Halide Lamp ( www.nam.lighting.philips.com/us/professional/ )

Daylight Sensor Control System: Leviton, miniZ Intelligent Daylight Management System ( www.leviton.com )

Other Materials
Appliances: ENERGY STAR-rated refrigerator and dishwasher ( www.energystar.gov )

Carpet: Milliken Contract Marco Polo, Intervals and Plan A collections with bio-based TractionBack for adhesive-free installation ( www.millikencarpet.com )

Carpet Cleaning: MilliCare Textile and Carpet Care System ( www.millicare.com )

New Furniture: Harter ( www.harter.com )