If you are an Omicron staff member and would like your very own bamboo plant, study hard to pass the LEED exam, and you will become part of the “bamboo clan”. Read More »

Omicron is “LEED-ing” the way with our head office location in downtown Vancouver.  The 15,400 sq.ft. space occupying the entire fifth floor of Bentall Tower Three was recently awarded LEED®-CI Gold under the US Green Building Council’s new rating system for Commercial Interiors; the first project in Canada to achieve this level of certification.

Further to our commitment to sustainable building practices, the space incorporates innovative green products and practices, and showcases these strategies to test their broader applicability for use in future projects.  We consider our innovative office a sustainable design laboratory to educate and inform staff, clients and visitors - who are welcome to walk the space with the help of our self-guided tour.

The design of the office addresses our firm’s focus on functionality and sustainable design.  The two primary goals were to minimize negative environmental impacts related to the construction and operation of the office space, and to improve the work environment for employees through a contemporary and functional design.

A traditional perimeter office plan was rejected in favour of an open plan office.  This layout encourages discussion across disciplines and facilitates the integrated design process.  This process is further enhanced by grouping employees into dedicated project teams rather than by discipline.  Four discreet pavilions throughout the floor were created to house meeting rooms, a staff cafe and other required support spaces.

Sustainable features include:

SUSTAINABLE SITES

• A dense downtown location allows many staff to walk or bike to work, reducing transportation pollution and urban sprawl
• Over 25 bus routes have stops outside the building and the Skytrain has a stop across the street
• Proximity to public transit encourages its use which helps to reduce transportation pollution; Omicron also participates in Translink’s Corporate Transit Pass program, affording staff discounts on the purchase of travel passes

WATER EFFICIENCY

• Waterless urinals and low flow fixtures reduce water consumption by almost 40% below the baseline case

ENERGY AND ATMOSPHERE

• Elimination of redundant task lighting
• Use of occupancy sensors and a centralized programmed timer for lighting
• Selection of energy efficient office equipment and appliances
• Use of radiant ceiling panels
• Energy star appliances and office equipment

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

• Recycling and reuse of construction waste resulting in 73% of construction waste being diverted from the landfill
• Disassembly and reinstallation of materials from the previous office resulting in a reuse of 27% of the total project materials
• Selection of green building materials resulted in the total of all building materials being 61% recycled content, 56% locally manufactured, 25% locally harvested and 15% rapidly renewable; 99% of wood-based products are FSC certified
• Examples of these initiatives include:

Rubber gym flooring made of recycled car tires; flooring was installed to be reused and recycled at the end of its life
Exposed concrete wall panels made of plant products, recycled paper and industrial waste
Fibreglass insulation made from recycled glass bottles
Extensive use of agrifibre as an alternative to a wood-based product and made of wheat-straw fibre which is a by-product of the harvesting process; used as core materials in all millwork/casework products
Two meeting rooms constructed entirely from FSC certified Douglas Fir
Wood slat ceiling in elevator lobby made from zero formaldehyde MDF
Main boardroom table constructed out of Douglas Fir railway sleepers reclaimed from a collapsed BC logging bridge

INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

• Elimination of offices and use of workstations with low dividers, permitting all employees to have access to a view and daylight
• Reduction of harmful influences on the work environment by specifying low-emitting materials for all paints, carpets, composite woods, furniture and insulation