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Fxfowle Architects to Design National Audubon Society Office

The bird conservation organization was a pioneer in sustainable office architecture in the 1990’s.

Mairi Beautyman -- Interior Design, 5/9/2007 12:00:00 AM

Bird conservation organization the National Audubon Society will soon have a new home office in New York worthy of its mission to conserve and restore natural ecosystems. Designed by architectural, interior design, planning, and urban design firm Fxfowle Architects to achieve LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, the 28,000-square-foot space will be located in a former printing plant close to Greenwich Village.

A pioneer in sustainable office architecture, the National Audubon Society currently works from interiors incorporating the best of environmental technology and design to be found in the 1990’s. Several government agencies, institutions, and businesses have used the office as a role model.

Design highlights in the new space include recycled materials, utilization of natural light coupled with high-performance lighting systems, recyclable furniture, low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints and materials and low flow water fixtures, and a raised floor system which will both hide wiring and create under floor air distribution to all workspaces. The latter is usually only applied in buildings designed and constructed specifically to meet its unique demands.

“Our vision for Audubon’s office will coincide with the organization’s mission to ensure that sustainability is incorporated holistically throughout the entire project,” notes Guy Geier, principal-in-charge of the interiors studio for Fxfowle.

Since its founding in 1905, the National Audubon Society has grown to include 500,000 Audubon members in nearly 500 chapters.