“This isn’t your mama’s old Mohawk anymore. This is a new brand of Mohawk that really speaks to who we are holistically as a global company.” -George Bandy Jr.
George Bandy Jr., Mohawk’s chief sustainability officer, shows off the company’s LEEDv4 and WELL certification plaques.
New York— Last night, May 25th, Mohawk Group celebrated the LEEDv4 Gold and WELL Platinum certifications of its flagship New York City showroom, one of the few projects in the world to be certified under both programs and associated levels.
“For us, this space was about demonstrating our commitment to our employees, the design community, our end-user customers and dealers because it’s important for them to see that health and wellness aspect of our product in a space that also exudes that,” George Bandy Jr., Mohawk’s chief sustainability officer, told GO.
Bandy went on to say the certification is representative of “who we are as an organization.” “This isn’t your mama’s old Mohawk anymore. This is a new brand of Mohawk that really speaks to who we are holistically as a global company,” he said. “I’m excited about what we’re doing. I’m grateful to the leadership and people who invest their time and soul into creating this kind of space, and we’re seeing our brand connect more with the A&D community because we’re making decisions like this. If you’re providing solutions to help people meet that [certification] criteria, you have to be able to show examples of you meeting those yourself. And this is an example of us practicing what we preach and living the ‘believe in better’ mantra.”
Designed by Gensler, the 13,000-square-foot Chelsea showroom’s biophilic inspiration, open and modern aesthetic and building credentials help express the company’s commitment to innovative, stylish flooring and sustainable design.
“We get to show a full range of products — broadloom, area rugs, hardwood,” said Bandy. “Our collaboration with Gensler is amazing in this space. It doesn’t matter how green it is, if it’s ugly nobody will come. So, this new mantra we’ve created called ‘believe in better’ is also about believing in beauty. Beauty is better, and nature is very attractive.”
To meet the stringent requirements of both certifications, the company implemented unique measures to support employee health and wellness and incorporate responsible nature-inspired design. These efforts included: sourcing products that were either Red List-free with a Declare Label or had an Environmental Product Declaration and/or Health Product Declaration; integrating an indoor herb and plant garden; specifying daylight harvesting light sensors with energy-efficient LED lighting; incorporating natural daylight throughout; stocking healthy food options for employees and guests; ensuring indoor air quality and offering complimentary off-site gym memberships to showroom employees. Atlanta-based Ecoworks Studio served as consultants for the project.
The showroom attained LEED certification for implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions aimed at accomplishing high performance in sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. It earned Platinum level WELL certification for the space based on seven categories of building performance: Air, Water, Light, Nourishment, Fitness, Comfort and Mind.
