The Philadelphia Chapter of CoreNet organized a panel discussion at Saint-Gobain's North American Headquarters in Malvern, Pennsylvania led by Senior Director of Workplace Strategy at Knoll, Kimberly Smith. Committed to advancing real estate knowledge, connecting people, and promoting personal excellence, the CoreNet Global chapter traveled to the Saint-Gobain North American Headquarters, a successful example of contemporary workplace solutions. The discussion covered the process behind identifying the guiding principles for Saint-Gobain’s renovation-to-suit. As part of the effort to achieve LEED Double Platinum certification, Saint-Gobain decided to strip its interior and design a space that would bolster their Indoor Environmental Quality.
Saint-Gobain's North American Headquarters has already achieved LEED Platinum certification in both commercial interiors and core and shell, as established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute. As a designer and manufacturer of high-performance building materials, Saint-Gobain utilized material innovations from its own product portfolio throughout the project. Knoll furniture, specifically Generation by Knoll® and Dividends Horizon® for workstations and Gigi® Chairs for cafeteria and activity spaces, also played a part in supporting the 277,00 square foot building's exceptional user comfort and indoor air quality. Knoll’s dedication to sustainable design makes it equipped to help organizations achieve LEED certifications through the choices they make about their interior spaces.
The event included a tour of the headquarters, so that attendees could fully experience the transformation that defined a successful outcome. Members of the panel included Maureen Byrne, Manager of Projects at Jacobs, Tamara Mueller, Manager of Headquarter Communications at Saint-Gobain, Lisa McGregor, Director of Planning for Jacobs, and Robert Fogarasi, Vice President & Senior Project Manager at Binswanger.
The CoreNet Global Philadelphia Chapter provides networking, training and educational programming for hundreds of corporate real estate professionals in a range of industries and sectors.