February 23, 2012
GSA Updates Tools for Greater Sustainability
The U.S. General Services Administration announced the creation of four new tools for promoting greater sustainability in federal agency workplaces. “Sustainable behavior requires transformative change, and transformative change occurs when people are empowered to make informed decisions at all levels,” shares Michael Bloom, GSA Sustainability and Green Building Program Advisor. GSA developed these tools as part of their ongoing effort to improve sustainable workplace, facility, and procurement practices. These tools include the Workplace Solutions Library, Sound Matters, Sustainable Facilities Tool, and Green Products Compilation module.
- The Workplace Solutions Library provides comprehensive workplace information in an organized, linked way. The tool is based on six “work patterns” that run the gamut of federal knowledge work, providing a simple structure to think about complex issues. It is designed to help the user reduce real estate and consequently, GHG emissions footprint while improving workplace quality. Users can identify and translate work styles to appropriate space designs that afford practical mobility options, inform proper furniture choices, and provide strategic guidance to manage change.
- The Sound Matters tool was created to help agencies develop cost-effective acoustic mitigation strategies and create high-performance, vital workplaces even as real estate footprints shrink. The tool specifies designs, products, and human behavior modifications necessary to create workplaces that furnish acoustic comfort. The document’s intent is to increase awareness of an issue that has been peripheral but is quickly becoming primary in the new workplace.
- The Sustainable Facilities Tool serves as a “one-stop portal” to empower any government or private sector user to identify and prioritize cost-effective sustainable building strategies that lead to improved environmental performance in small building projects. “Before creation of this site, there was no one-stop tool for learning about such a wide breadth of sustainable products and options available for retrofitting and renovating buildings,” explains Stephen Leeds, GSA Senior Sustainability Officer. SFTool promotes the use of energy efficient, sustainable design and environmentally preferable materials in renovations, alterations and leases, while enhancing the skills teams require to assess more sustainable leases and support integrative design. The web and mobile app provide easy access to valuable resources for sustainable building principles including a 3-D interactive office walkthrough, extensive glossary, essential regulations and guidelines, and case studies.
- The new, web-based version of the Green Products Compilation utilizes the interactive SFTool platform, providing users with information regarding sustainable building principles, materials, and systems. This platform allows purchasers to search, sort, and identify sustainable products and associated guidance. GSA anticipates further updates this spring to further expand its scope and functionality.
For more information, please contact Michael Bloom (michael.bloom@gsa.gov).
Additional documentation about GSA’s tools is available in SR Inc’s Digital Library:
Workplace Solutions Library
Sounds Matters
Sustainable Facilities Tool
Green Products Compilation
Research and Consulting Team (research@sustainround.com).
