Goldman Sachs Wins Award for Using FSC-Certified Wood

Goldman Sachs has received the first annual “Designing & Building with FSC Award” for its new building at 30 Hudson Street in Jersey City, NJ. The annual award recognizes building projects that further responsible forest management through the use of FSC-certified wood products (Forest Stewardship Council).

Project entries were judged on the inclusion of FSC-certified wood products, efforts to incorporate certified forest product market transformation, overall wood design and appropriate wood use. All wood products used in the interior of the Goldman Sachs building are certified, including millwork, wood trimming, moldings, veneers, steamed sycamore panels in the main lobby, more than 700 gym lockers, and an astounding 970 interior doors. Completed in April 2004, the building is a 40-story, 1.6 million square foot structure overlooking the Hudson River across from lower Manhattan.

Roger Dower, president of FSC-US, said, “the Designing & Building with FSC Award was created to recognize companies that help to transform building markets and the forest products industry through their responsible consumption. FSC is pleased that Goldman Sachs’ commitment to sustainability includes use of FSC-certified woods, and that FSC featured prominently in the design of this project. We are thrilled that they so obviously find value in the FSC and LEED programs, and hope their example will be followed by others.”

“The use of FSC-certified wood became a focused sustainable design element for our project when we learned that in doing so, we could support environmentally responsible forest management without having to compromise quality or aesthetics. We found that the use of FSC-certified wood was an excellent way for us to both build well and build responsibly,” said Anthony Cammarata, managing director and head of corporate services and real estate Americas for Goldman Sachs.

The building received LEED certfiication from the U.S. Green Building Council, a national standard that recognizes achievement in sustainable building techniques. As part of the LEED program, Goldman Sachs earned the ‘certified wood credit’ which verifies that more than 50% of the total value of all wood building materials used in the project was FSC-certified.

Tensie Whelan, executive director of the Rainforest Alliance, noted that Goldman Sachs’ decision to use FSC-certified products in their building sends a significant market signal that corporations of global stature do care and are directly engaged in sourcing products that meet the highest levels of sustainability.

Forest Products Solutions, a Portland, Oregon- based consulting firm, organized an impressive selection committee for the award, consisting of representatives from architectural firms HOK and
William McDonough + Partners, the City of Seattle, the National Park Service, forest products manufacturers Columbia Forest Products and SJ Morse Company, Green Building Services, and the nonprofit organization Rainforest Alliance. The award was launched in conjunction with FSC’s new professional training guide, Designing & Building with FSC.