ASU partners with sustainable Dutch development for productivity assessment

The Arizona State University Global Sustainability Solutions Center (GSSC) at Haarlemmermeer announced its first project agreement in the Netherlands on Sept. 30. GSSC will conduct research and analysis for Park 20|20, the Netherlands’ first cradle-to-cradle working environment, in order to assess the links between employee and firm productivity and the built environment.

Park 20|20, located in the town of Hoofddorp, is geared to energize and empower employees through a “human-centered design approach” via its architecture and landscape. The cradle-to-cradle design achieves sustainability by creating closed cycles for materials, energy, waste and water.

GSSC, a program within the Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives in the ASU Global Institute of Sustainability, will look at how productivity is defined, what metrics are used in analyzing productivity and how productivity links to the working space and environment. The project will involve faculty, staff and one graduate student from ASU, supported by staff mentorship.

“Park 20|20 along with our partners at VolkerWessels and Reggeborgh are excited to have the opportunity to work with ASU on this very interesting and necessary project to discover how the cradle-to-cradle principle benefits the built environment,” said Coert Zachariasse, CEO of Delta Development Group and a director of Park 20|20. “This research will provide concrete evidence of how innovation and ambition in the optimization of the working environment benefit people and, in turn, affect productivity."

The cradle-to-cradle concept for Park 20|20 was championed by chemist Michael Braungart and architect and designer, William McDonough, who also is a board member of the Global Institute of Sustainability at ASU.

“The project will provide important information for Park 20|20 as it continually innovates to optimize the working environment for its clients,” said Marta Hulley Friedman, program manager of the GSSC. She added, “We are very enthusiastic about partnering with Park 20|20 and providing an opportunity for our faculty and students to learn about the concepts behind Park 20|20. This is the first in a number of projects we hope to engage in together.”

For more information on the center in Haarlemmermeer, please visit http://sustainabilitysolutions.asu.edu/programs/globalcenters/haarlemmermeer.