LinkedIn at 222 Second St.

Strategy & Services: LinkedIn connects the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful, and transforms the ways companies hire, market, and sell. LinkedIn fully leased 222 Second St., a 26-story office tower in San Francisco that houses approximately 2,250 employees. LinkedIn contracted Interior Architects (IA) to design the multi-floor build-out. With sustainability as a central priority, IA partnered with stok to facilitate LEED certification services, targeting LEED CI Platinum certification.

Design Details: stok began with a Gap Analysis to determine which version of the LEED rating system would align best with the team’s project goals. Once it was decided that LEED v3 made better financial sense and that the build out would occur in two phases, stok helped establish a certification path for each phase. When ENERGY STAR appliances proved difficult to obtain, stok dug in and evaluated over 100 different appliance types to find a way to meet the LEED requirements for ENERGY STAR. Without this thorough research, the project would not have been able to obtain LEED certification. stok also found that by tuning LinkedIn’s Enlighted lighting control system – which allows all lighting levels in the building to be custom adjusted based on the need of the zone – the total lighting consumption in the building could be reduced by 70% below baseline, an unbelievable figure. So unbelievable in fact, that the project team had to come together to submit multiple iterations of a Credit Interpretation Request to help prove the project’s exceptional lighting power reduction, which can be repeated across LinkedIn projects with the continued use of Enlighted. Beyond these challenges, stok identified design features that maximized building efficiency while improving occupant health. These included an HVAC system that brings in 100% outside air to improve indoor environmental quality, as well as occupant comfort and health, while also reducing energy consumption. Floor-to-ceiling, low emissivity perimeter glass maximizes natural light while avoiding heat gain. Additionally, low-emitting paints, sealants, and furniture are all used for optimal indoor air quality and occupant health.

 

Outcome: 222 Second St. is certified LEED Platinum, and serves as an example to inspire sustainability across LinkedIn’s offices globally. With the success of this project, stok also performed LEED for New Construction energy modeling and enhanced commissioning, as well as sustainability design charrettes, for LinkedIn’s Mountain View headquarters.