West Monroe, a national business and technology consulting firm, today announced three of its offices have been awarded LEED certifications from the U.S. Green Building Council for its efforts in sustainability.
In 2020, West Monroe expanded its office space in three cities—Chicago, Minneapolis, and New York City—to accommodate above-average industry growth. While the firm is still developing its hybrid work model, it committed early on in the pandemic to keeping office space that is used to foster a culture of collaboration, a culture of togetherness, and world-class career development.
The Chicago office, located at 311 W. Monroe St. and finished in September 2020, received LEED Gold. The Minneapolis office, located at 729 N. Washington Ave. and finished in June 2020, received LEED Silver. And the New York office, located at 825 8th Ave. and finished in October 2020, received LEED Silver. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and an international symbol of excellence. Through design, construction and operations practices that improve environmental and human health, LEED-certified buildings are helping to make the world more sustainable.
To accommodate the firm’s extraordinary growth, West Monroe built out the three new offices in 2020, increasing its square footage by 140%. The Chicago office and headquarters, now located at the West Monroe HQ, includes a rapidly growing team of industry experts, technologists, and business advisers. The firm’s corporate headquarters is also home to a vast majority of the firm’s Shared Services teams that span finance, marketing, operations, legal, HR, and more.
The firm is also planning to grow its local New York workforce five-fold by 2025 to 750 employees to address mounting demand for consulting services. To accommodate the growth, West Monroe signed a 10-year lease deal effectively quadrupling the firm’s local real estate. The Minneapolis office relocated in 2020 to a new space in the North Loop neighborhood to accommodate its expanded local team and future growth projections. The firm leased more than 42,000 square feet at The Nordic, a unique mixed-use development.
West Monroe achieved the LEED certifications for implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions in areas including sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. Green buildings allow companies to operate more sustainably and give our people inside them a healthier, more comfortable space to work.
Specific sustainability highlights include:
- Water saving fixtures reducing water by over 34% and saving 414,512 gallons per year in the Chicago office.
- 91% of construction materials were recycled or diverted from landfills in the New York office.
- 100% of insulation, ceiling and flooring materials certified as low VOC (volatile organic compounds) in the Minneapolis office.
- All three offices are centrally located to multiple public transit lines, bicycle networks and walking paths, significantly reducing carbon emissions from driving.
The firm is committed to helping clients, communities, and West Monroe build a sustainable future.