[Skip to Content]
SFTool has a new login! Please register with Login.gov. To retain your existing SFTool account information (FEDSAT, Total Workplace Scorecards, & GPC Lists), use our MERGE PAGE after logging in to migrate your data.
Enclosed Conference

Enclosed conference rooms should be designed to facilitate communication. Utilize teleconference or video conference technologies to reduce travel related GHG emissions. Incorporate occupant sensor & individual temperature & lighting controls to save energy and keep the space comfortable for groups of different sizes. Include movable partitions to separate larger conference rooms into multiple smaller rooms if needed. Optimize daylighting strategies by utilizing glazing for wall systems. View Planning Strategies

Share non government site opens in new window
Tilt device for optimal viewing Click on a hotspot to learn sustainable strategies and compare materials for that system
  • Recycling

  • Recycling

    • Ensure recycling containers are labeled consistently, with pictures, to help occupants sort materials in the appropriate containers. Coordinate with the recycling hauler to develop the appropriate signage (tenants in leased facilities should coordinate with the landlord or facility manager).
    • Provide ongoing education and training to occupants and janitorial staff about the recycling hauler’s requirements, what items are acceptable and unacceptable for recycling, proper disposal methods, and the importance of eliminating contamination.
    • Target paper and cardboard which typically make up the greatest percentage (by weight) of the total solid waste stream.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Door System

  • Door System

    • Consider doors that are made of recycled content or are recyclable at the end of their lives.
    • Wood doors can be certified to prove the material was harvested in a responsible way.
    • Consider composite wood doors with no added urea-formaldehyde and door finishes such as paints and stains that are low in VOC content.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Walls

  • Walls

    • Consider replacing part of the standard wall with interior glazing to allow natural light to penetrate into the interior space.
    • Consider demountable walls or partitions that can be moved and altered to create different types of spaces to meet the needs of the occupants.
    • Select easy to clean wall surfaces for ease of maintenance.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Furniture / Furnishings

  • Furniture / Furnishings

    • Use moveable, re-configurable furniture to maximizes functionality of space such as rolling/locking casters and moveable white boards.
    • Select ergonomically-designed furniture to provide maximum comfort and convenience for the occupants.
    • Use low-emitting furniture to protect indoor air quality.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Lighting

  • Lighting

    • Use daylight sensor controls that turn off electric lighting in response to natural light levels to reduce energy consumption. When used in combination with occupant sensors, a sustainable lighting control program can have significant benefits.
    • Limit the use of accent lighting to specific artwork, menu boards, and educational items to reduce energy consumption.
    • Incorporate daylighting or views to the outside to create an inviting, ascetically pleasing environment as natural light is usually preferred to artificial lighting.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Conference Room Equipment

  • Conference Room Equipment

    • Use video conferencing to reduce the need for work-related travel and thereby reduce an organization''s carbon footprint.
    • Select ENERGY STAR rated video conference equipment as it consumes less energy.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Ceiling

  • Ceiling

    • Use acoustical ceiling tiles with high Noise Reduction Coefficients (NRC) to reduce reverberation time and improve speech intelligibility for occupant comfort.
    • Use light-colored ceiling tiles to reflect daylight to allow natural light to effectively move throughout the space.
    • Evaluate sustainable attributes such as regional manufacturing, recycled content, and low VOC to determine the most appropriate materials to use for a sustainable ceiling.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Flooring

  • Flooring

    • Dry vacuum regularly and follow with a wet vacuum water extraction machine when necessary to protect indoor air quality.
    • Evaluate sustainable attributes such as high recycled content and low VOC's to determine the most appropriate sustainable product for the space. Remember that adhesives may be required for flooring, and these may add VOC's even if the finish flooring does not.
    • Prevent stains by cleaning up spills promptly, starting with cold water and blotting cloths.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • HVAC

  • HVAC

    • Install occupant control thermostats that have prescribed temperature range limits to promote occupant comfort.
    • Ensure the air supplied by the HVAC system is properly conditioned - providing comfortable temperature ranges, removing moisture and air contaminants such as odors, dust, and carbon dioxide. Proximity to an exterior wall should be evaluated to minimize ductwork.
    • Ensure the minimum level, or higher, of outside air is circulated within occupied spaces to increase indoor air quality.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Windows and Daylighting

  • Windows and Daylighting

    • Install double or triple paned glass to increase efficiency and reduce energy consumption.
    • Use interior light shelves to effectively distribute the natural light throughout a space.
    • Consider installing solar powered window shades or blinds to reduce glare and allow control of the daylight entering a space.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Walls

  • Walls

    • Consider replacing part of the standard wall with interior glazing to allow natural light to penetrate into the interior space.
    • Consider demountable walls or partitions that can be moved and altered to create different types of spaces to meet the needs of the occupants.
    • Select easy to clean wall surfaces for ease of maintenance.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Furniture / Furnishings

  • Furniture / Furnishings

    • Use moveable, re-configurable furniture to maximizes functionality of space such as rolling/locking casters and moveable white boards.
    • Select ergonomically-designed furniture to provide maximum comfort and convenience for the occupants.
    • Use low-emitting furniture to protect indoor air quality.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Door System

  • Door System

    • Consider doors that are made of recycled content or are recyclable at the end of their lives.
    • Wood doors can be certified to prove the material was harvested in a responsible way.
    • Consider composite wood doors with no added urea-formaldehyde and door finishes such as paints and stains that are low in VOC content.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Lighting

  • Lighting

    • Use daylight sensor controls that turn off electric lighting in response to natural light levels to reduce energy consumption. When used in combination with occupant sensors, a sustainable lighting control program can have significant benefits.
    • Limit the use of accent lighting to specific artwork, menu boards, and educational items to reduce energy consumption.
    • Incorporate daylighting or views to the outside to create an inviting, ascetically pleasing environment as natural light is usually preferred to artificial lighting.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Windows and Daylighting

  • Windows and Daylighting

    • Install double or triple paned glass to increase efficiency and reduce energy consumption.
    • Use interior light shelves to effectively distribute the natural light throughout a space.
    • Consider installing solar powered window shades or blinds to reduce glare and allow control of the daylight entering a space.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Flooring

  • Flooring

    • Dry vacuum regularly and follow with a wet vacuum water extraction machine when necessary to protect indoor air quality.
    • Evaluate sustainable attributes such as high recycled content and low VOC's to determine the most appropriate sustainable product for the space. Remember that adhesives may be required for flooring, and these may add VOC's even if the finish flooring does not.
    • Prevent stains by cleaning up spills promptly, starting with cold water and blotting cloths.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Ceiling

  • Ceiling

    • Use acoustical ceiling tiles with high Noise Reduction Coefficients (NRC) to reduce reverberation time and improve speech intelligibility for occupant comfort.
    • Use light-colored ceiling tiles to reflect daylight to allow natural light to effectively move throughout the space.
    • Evaluate sustainable attributes such as regional manufacturing, recycled content, and low VOC to determine the most appropriate materials to use for a sustainable ceiling.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Recycling

  • Recycling

    • Ensure recycling containers are labeled consistently, with pictures, to help occupants sort materials in the appropriate containers. Coordinate with the recycling hauler to develop the appropriate signage (tenants in leased facilities should coordinate with the landlord or facility manager).
    • Provide ongoing education and training to occupants and janitorial staff about the recycling hauler’s requirements, what items are acceptable and unacceptable for recycling, proper disposal methods, and the importance of eliminating contamination.
    • Target paper and cardboard which typically make up the greatest percentage (by weight) of the total solid waste stream.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • HVAC

  • HVAC

    • Install occupant control thermostats that have prescribed temperature range limits to promote occupant comfort.
    • Ensure the air supplied by the HVAC system is properly conditioned - providing comfortable temperature ranges, removing moisture and air contaminants such as odors, dust, and carbon dioxide. Proximity to an exterior wall should be evaluated to minimize ductwork.
    • Ensure the minimum level, or higher, of outside air is circulated within occupied spaces to increase indoor air quality.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Walls

  • Walls

    • Consider replacing part of the standard wall with interior glazing to allow natural light to penetrate into the interior space.
    • Consider demountable walls or partitions that can be moved and altered to create different types of spaces to meet the needs of the occupants.
    • Select easy to clean wall surfaces for ease of maintenance.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Door System

  • Door System

    • Consider doors that are made of recycled content or are recyclable at the end of their lives.
    • Wood doors can be certified to prove the material was harvested in a responsible way.
    • Consider composite wood doors with no added urea-formaldehyde and door finishes such as paints and stains that are low in VOC content.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Recycling

  • Recycling

    • Ensure recycling containers are labeled consistently, with pictures, to help occupants sort materials in the appropriate containers. Coordinate with the recycling hauler to develop the appropriate signage (tenants in leased facilities should coordinate with the landlord or facility manager).
    • Provide ongoing education and training to occupants and janitorial staff about the recycling hauler’s requirements, what items are acceptable and unacceptable for recycling, proper disposal methods, and the importance of eliminating contamination.
    • Target paper and cardboard which typically make up the greatest percentage (by weight) of the total solid waste stream.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Flooring

  • Flooring

    • Dry vacuum regularly and follow with a wet vacuum water extraction machine when necessary to protect indoor air quality.
    • Evaluate sustainable attributes such as high recycled content and low VOC's to determine the most appropriate sustainable product for the space. Remember that adhesives may be required for flooring, and these may add VOC's even if the finish flooring does not.
    • Prevent stains by cleaning up spills promptly, starting with cold water and blotting cloths.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Furniture / Furnishings

  • Furniture / Furnishings

    • Use moveable, re-configurable furniture to maximizes functionality of space such as rolling/locking casters and moveable white boards.
    • Select ergonomically-designed furniture to provide maximum comfort and convenience for the occupants.
    • Use low-emitting furniture to protect indoor air quality.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • HVAC

  • HVAC

    • Install occupant control thermostats that have prescribed temperature range limits to promote occupant comfort.
    • Ensure the air supplied by the HVAC system is properly conditioned - providing comfortable temperature ranges, removing moisture and air contaminants such as odors, dust, and carbon dioxide. Proximity to an exterior wall should be evaluated to minimize ductwork.
    • Ensure the minimum level, or higher, of outside air is circulated within occupied spaces to increase indoor air quality.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices

  • Windows and Daylighting

  • Windows and Daylighting

    • Install double or triple paned glass to increase efficiency and reduce energy consumption.
    • Use interior light shelves to effectively distribute the natural light throughout a space.
    • Consider installing solar powered window shades or blinds to reduce glare and allow control of the daylight entering a space.

    Click Design Guidance to View Additional Best Practices