LEED & Pli: Why LEED?

When making a decision, most people look for outside endorsement. We at Pli value the opinions of companies like Steelcase and Herman Miller, who are the market leaders in the office furniture industry. Both these companies are early adopters of LEED-thinking and it’s application to furniture design. They see the value to the customer of furniture that will help contribute towards the credentials of green building projects. Herman Miller even sets an example: its European Headquarters at the VillageGreen facility in Chippenham, England, was one of the first buildings in the UK to gain LEED NC Gold (new construction) certification.

BREEAM is the UK version of the US based LEED building certification system. BREEAM is a good system but does not have as much emphasis on interior furnishings. Fixed furnishing, such as fitted cabinets, falls under BREEAM but loose furniture does not. We want our products to make as much impact on a project as possible. Using BREEAM, our furniture would be purchased in the spirit of the project, but using LEED it makes a positive contribution to the overall interior project rating.

Example of the LEED points label for commercial interiors

The following posts in the “LEED & Pli” series will explain exactly how our products will earn points for your project. Over the certification process, Pli’s products can help towards 10 out of 100 possible LEED Commercial Interior certification points, and at least 1 of the 6 extra points available in the Innovation in Design section. (see LEED label above).

With the difference between the various levels of certification being 10 points, your choice of furniture could be the difference between just certifying your project and achieving silver, gold, or platinum certification. Considering the cost of the furniture compared to the total cost of some building projects, there are valuable points to be earned.