Summertown Interiors held a workshop to demonstrate the numerous benefits of implementing environmental standards for interior fit-out.

In developing the concept, the company has recognised that there is a strong interest in the market and a need to make green interior fit-out solutions more accessible to commercial organisations, both at client level and to industry peers, as there is a current lack of live case studies in the UAE market, a spokesperson said.

As more organisations rapidly take on board environmentally-orientated policies under corporate guidelines, there is a definite knowledge gap. Through these workshops Summertown aims to bring their positive experience in going green to the table and invite attendees to learn from and to share their own experiences in this open forum.

The theme at Summertown's recent workshop outlined not only the social responsibility of adopting environmental certification such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) but also highlighted the economic rewards a company can gain from doing so, allowing them to improve their corporate reputation and outperform competitors, leading to energy savings of up of to 75 per cent.

Furthermore, an exclusive tour around Summertown’s Leed gold-certified showroom in Jebel Ali Free Zone provided an insight into the true nature of an environmental interior that illustrated both creativity and dynamism. This proved that going green does not have to be perpendicular to bland and non-distinct design, but can incorporate a stunning workspace that employees enjoy going to work in, which in turn helps to motivate staff and increase productivity, he said.

“We strongly believe that sustainability through initiatives such as Leed certification is analogous to a company’s profitability and provides a visible return on investment within just 3-8 years,” stated Marcos Bish, managing director of Summertown Interiors.

Summertown Interiors will continue this initiative throughout the summer months with a number of 'Green in Action' workshops planned for organisations during July and August.-TradeArabia News Service