Yuka Yoneda and Emma Grady of Treehugger
Green-powered productivity, eco-minded collaboration, and a beautiful, open space to do it all in? That’s exactly what Green Spaces, the company that pioneered sustainable office space in New York, has to offer in their newly opened 5,300 sq. foot loft in downtown Manhattan. Partners Jennie Nevin, Marissa Feinberg, and Roberto Rhett hosted a bash last Thursday night to celebrate the opening, and they invited green industry leaders, social entrepreneurs, and select media to check out their expansive new office filled with an eclectic mix of refurbished furniture, emerging eco-art, and a sense of community for all ‘EcoPreneurs’ looking to set up their headquarters in New York City.
Amy Ahn admires some cool eco-art and refurbished, retro office furniture
Conveniently located at 394 Broadway in Tribeca and close to the popular neighborhoods of SoHo and Chinatown, Green Spaces’ Manhattan hub boasts the amazing exposed brick walls and huge arched windows that artists in the area found so appealing when they moved in decades ago. We were delighted to see a bevy of retro steel desks and iconic metal filing cabinets that (ironically) give the office an updated look, what with the Mad Men-esque aesthetic being all the rage these days. My friend Amy, who recently had some of her office furniture sold, pointed excitedly to a particularly cool old-school desk. “Is that?…That looks just like mine!” Guess we’ll never know – but the fact that all of the four legged-occupants of the space (besides mascot Hobbes and his gargantuan furry friend who were like mini celebrities at the party) all have a history is pretty darn cool.
But it isn’t just the furniture that makes the space green. The office uses 100% wind power energy and through a partnership with GreenT Digital, maintains low-power utilization through remote data storage. The space is outfitted with a passive heating and cooling system and even the cleaning supplies used are chemical-free. In terms of waste-management, Green Spaces is working on a composting system and partnership with Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) that they are hoping to roll out in the next few months.
Revelers at the party including Green Spaces partner Marissa Feinberg and Remy Chevalier of Project Green Search
The Green Spaces partners also made an important announcement at the event introducing their revolutionary ‘clubhouse membership’ called ‘EcoPreneurs,’ which, on top of being able to operate and collaborate in a gorgeous green office, is a huge benefit of working out of Green Spaces. The special membership includes access to events like film screenings, gallery openings, supper clubs, networking cocktails, pop-up retail shops, post-work happy hours, educational workshops, and includes access to a very useful referral network of green businesspeople who share the same passions and concerns.
Our office-warming gift – an Inhabipumpkin!
And don’t forget to take Green Spaces up on their free one-day pass! It’s the perfect opportunity to experience what working in a sustainable space with like-minded individuals can be like.
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