Summertown Interiors Supports Takeda in Achieving LEED Certification

Architecture

January 4, 2021, 7:15 am

Takeda’s new Middle East headquarters, completed this June by Summertown Interiors, was awarded LEED Silver Certification by The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Located in the prestigious One Central Development in the Central Business District of Dubai World Trade Centre Authority (DWTCA), Summertown delivered the 2,075sqm’ design and build’ office for the global Japanese pharmaceutical company in partnership with Dubai-based interior design firm Roar, and CBRE project management.

 

“A key LEED initiatives for this project included achievement of 12.3% savings on energy use.”

 

The Silver level LEED Certification for ‘Interior Design and Construction: Commercial Interiors’ was awarded by the USGBC after achieving over 50 points across several LEED categories. The LEED certificate was presented by Summertown Interiors, Managing Director, Mr. Marcos Bish, last week to Rodrigo Rodriguez, General Manager at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Middle East Cluster.

Rodrigo Rodriguez, General Manager at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Middle East Cluster: “This a proud moment for us, and we thank Summertown Interiors, Roar, the CBRE project management teams, and all our partners for their overall contributions towards this project. Our latest office investments in Dubai demonstrate our commitment towards the region to ensure better health outcomes for our patients but in a sustainable, environment-friendly way. Our focus is to continue providing cutting-edge innovation to patients, accelerate approval of our treatments, and provide greater access across markets.”

Highlights of Takeda’s new workspace include the boardroom inspired by a Japanese tea house and reception modeled on a traditional Japanese home’s ‘genkan’ entrance hallway concept. Biophilia and natural materials including wood and raw, exposed concrete were incorporated in the workspace design, alongside the subtle inclusion of the corporate philosophy, “Takeda-ism,” based on four values: integrity, fairness, honesty, and perseverance.

Commenting on Takeda’s LEED Silver certification, Marcos Bish, Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to have assisted Takeda to achieve silver-level LEED certification for their new office interior; it was a pleasure to work on such an exciting design and build project. I also wish to thank Takeda and the project teams from Roar, CBRE, and Summertown, for support to ensure the project remained on track  despite the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the new government regulations.”

LEED Silver Certification

To achieve LEED Silver certification for the design and build interior project, the project team established environment-friendly strategies for construction waste management, segregating the waste and sending it for recycling/reusing/composting, thus reducing the environmental carbon footprint of the project.

The key LEED initiatives for this project included:

• Achievement of 12.3% savings on energy use from ASHRAE 90.1-2010 baseline. The premise provides ample fresh air as per ASHRAE 62.1–2010 standards, which help control pollutant sources, remove contaminants, and enhance occupant health and comfort.
• Good connections to public transport and services. Parking allotted to the office is minimal, thereby encouraging the team to select public transportation near the office in the form of public transport, i.e., bus and metro, resulting in reduced greenhouse gas emissions, traffic congestion, and an increased tendency for human activity.
• Focus on the occupant’s health by providing an adequate supply of fresh air, bicycle, and shower facilities at the office spaces, which will enhance employee productivity, muscle strength, cardiovascular fitness, decrease stress levels, absenteeism, and improved occupant health.
• Water and energy savings due to the office location in a LEED Gold building pre-installed with highly efficient water and energy systems. These highly efficient systems reduce the overall greenhouse gas emissions produced during electricity generation and desalination, and transportation of water and eventually weighs low on the electricity and water bill.
• Installation of recycling bins on the premises, thus encouraging waste segregation and minimizing waste transferred to landfills.
• Smoking is prohibited throughout the building spaces, providing an environment with clean air to all the occupants.