Ashley McGraw Architects Office LEED Silver Certified

Ashley McGraw Architects is pleased to announce its downtown Syracuse office at 125 East Jefferson Street has been awarded LEED Silver certification. To celebrate, the firm will host a special ceremony on Monday, February 12 at 3:30 p.m. Ashley McGraw will also reveal their 2018 JUST label, which demonstrates the firm’s commitment to social justice and equity.

Ashley McGraw moved its downtown Syracuse office from 500 South Salina Street to the 15th floor of the Onondaga Tower at 125 East Jefferson Street in September 2014. The firm sought an office environment that reflects the firm’s core belief that a habitable future depends on a mutually beneficial relationship between human made and natural systems. The office features LED lighting, daylighting, occupancy controls, low VOC paint and finishes, low flow bathroom fixtures, and reused materials from their former office. The flooring in the office’s studio area is a former gymnasium floor and the entryway features reclaimed wooden bleachers, both sourced from the Geneva City School District. 

The new office layout was developed after months of lunch seminars, workshops, and office culture discussion with employees. The office features an open landscape concept with no furniture partitions between workstations, promoting a visually open and collaborative environment with the flexibility for easy change of task and project teams. A variety of workspaces are available for daily use including sit-to-stand desks at every workstation, breakout hubs, and larger gathering spaces with various technologies available. Many of these spaces are reconfigurable for design discussions, office presentations, client meetings, or lunch seminars. 

About LEED
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for buildings and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained, and operated for improved environmental and human health performance.

About JUST
JUST is a voluntary tool organizations use to report on employee and community benefits. Indicators include diversity, worker benefit, equity, local benefit, safety and stewardship.