Certified green

When officials with First Affirmative Financial Network looked into expanding their local office this year, they went beyond moving into a bigger space. Their firm, which specializes in socially responsible investments, became responsible itself by creating an environmentally friendly office.

The office is expected to become the first “green” certified office in Colorado Springs.

In late August, First Affirmative moved to its new location at 5475 Mark Dabling Blvd. from South Eighth Street after seven months of planning and working on the vacant office space.

The 4,400-square-foot office was designed to be open and illuminated by daylight (90 percent of the space has daylight and views) to decrease energy use. On sunny days, some employees don’t need the lights on in their offices.

The company bought new appliances and electronics, such as breakroom equipment and copy machines, that are Energy Star compliant, which is a government labeling program for energy efficient products. Furniture is made from recycled materials and sustainable forests that regrow at most every 10 years.

Everything from the floor to the ceiling has something environmentally friendly. Carpets and wall paint are low-VOC, which means they don’t emit pollutants and are odor-free, and other flooring is made with Marmoleum instead of Linoleum. Marmoleum is made with cork and linseed oil, both renewable resources, and the glue used to install it contains no synthetics. If no one is in a room, motion sensors automatically turn off the lights.

First Affirmative worked with Katherine Wagenschutz, green building consultant with CTG Energetics, a consulting firm in Colorado Springs. CTG helps businesses meet the standards required by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification program. Wagenschutz guided the firm through specifications for green materials and practices that would help it achieve the certification. Approval is expected in a few months, said Christie Renner, the firm’s assistant to the CEO and leader of the effort.

Although there are green buildings in town, First Affirmative would have the first interioronly certification. The existing building that houses its office was not built according to green standards.

The creation of a green office is paying off for more than the environment, said CEO George Gay. The move from its old office is closer to where employees live, which will save on commuting costs, he said.

The office is next to the Pikes Peak Greenway trail; Gay keeps his bike next to his desk and takes afternoon breaks on the trail. A bike rack and showers are available on site.

Renner said the cost to create a green office isn’t much more than with using synthetic products. The solvent-free paint was about $1 more a gallon and the carpet price was comparable to others, she said. Overall, she estimated it cost a few thousand dollars more than a typical renovation.

Gay said the cost was worth it to create a more healthy and productive workplace for his 14 employees.

“It’s a place where people want to come to work,” he said.

First Affirmative serves socially and environmentally conscious investors nationwide. Last month, it passed $700 million under its management, a leap from less than $200 million in 1999, Gay said.

Started in 1988, it operates as a manager of managers, with 120 financial advisers in its network that use First Affirmative for back-office support and portfolio management.

Advisers turn to First Affirmative to construct portfolios according to a client’s preference, such as avoiding companies that have harmed the environment or sell certain objectionable products. This frees up the advisors to focus more on their business than spend time doing research, Gay said.

First Affirmative is paid through management fees it charges investors and annual membership fees advisers pay to be part of the network and receive information and research from the firm. Individuals must work through one of its advisers to receive its services. But clients aren’t limited by asset limits imposed by many firms. The average client portfolio is $125,000, Gay said.

Contact the writer: dan.serra@gazette.com