› News Release

Greening the Workplace

VirginiaBusiness.com -- In a largely dormant commercial construction market, green has become a growth industry. Although sustainable buildings have been around for decades, their proliferation had long been limited by the perception that construction was complicated and costly.

...Vivian Loftness, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University School of Architecture specializing in sustainable building, explains that simply giving people more access to daylight can lead to higher productivity. "People get up from their desks less often in green buildings," she says. A 2011 survey by CBRE, McGraw-Hill and the University of San Diego, found that 16 percent of occupants of green buildings reported higher productivity. Better air quality and the use of less toxic building materials and cleaners also can reduce absenteeism rates from respiratory problems such as asthma and allergies. (Full Story)