The new Steelcase wood furniture manufacturing plant breaking ground now in Gaines Township, Michigan, will be the first manufacturing building of its size certified by the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program. William McDonough + Partners designed the building which is expected to reduce emissions by 70 percent over its existing facility, partly due to changing to a water-based finishing system. Steelcase is retiring the old facility’s unused emissions credits, which are valued at about $5 million.
As many of you know, McDonough is in the process of revitalizing Ford Motor Company’s aging 1,212-acre Rouge Plant complex, which Bill Ford says, will soon become “a very visible testament to Ford’s commitment to environmental leadership and social responsibility.” His job is to transform this complex from a symbol of the Industrial Age – a sprawling, dirty facility – to a symbol of sustainable design.
For more examples of McDonough + Partner’s recent work: [sorry this link is no longer available]
Read a Detroit News article about McDonough’s re-design of the Rouge Plant complex.
To learn more about LEED, read our current Feature article or visit the LEED website.
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