Operations Management: An Integrated Approach, 5th Edition

THE SUSTAINABILITY LINK

In addition to promoting organizational efficiency, facility layout can play a significant role in improving organizational sustainability. Office spaces use huge amounts of energy for lighting, heating, and air conditioning, and performing operations. The facility design and layout—such as office space designs with ample natural light, the use of cutting-edge insulation material, and the use of innovative recycled building material—can go a long way in reducing energy consumption and creating models of energy efficiency.

An excellent example of savings that can be achieved through environmental layout design is seen in the offices of the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC). The NRDC has been a pioneer in the area of sustainability and wanted to showcase environmental principles through the design of their own offices, which incorporate green design features. For example, their New York office space was on the top three floors of a 12-story Art Deco building in a neighborhood with few skyscrapers, selected for its abundance of natural light. The combination of this “free” light and energy using energy-efficient technologies has cut energy consumption by 70% compared to conventional offices. Similar savings have been seen in their Washington office, which showcases not only similar energy-efficiency measures, but also the use of innovative building materials as compressed straw wall panels, countertops made of soybeans and recycled newspapers, and ceramic ...