InterfaceFLOR's new facility in Shanghai has received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in the Commercial Interiors category.

The facility is the first LEED-CI rating at any level to be awarded in China. The simplistically rendered space serves as a backdrop for the company's modular floocoverings, and also a demonstration of the company's Mission Zero promise to minimize the environmental footprint of its products and its operations.

"China, more than any other developing nation, can benefit from the principles of resource conservation that come with green building," said Dan Hendrix, President and CEO of Interface, Inc. "With our growing presence in the Asia-Pacific region, Interface is uniquely poised to bring the concept of Mission Zero to the booming commercial interiors industry in Shanghai."

Located on the second floor of Raffles City in the heart of Shanghai's historic district, the 4,500-square-foot facility received 33 credits from the USGBC, most notably for water conservation, energy efficiency and use of reclaimed materials. Low-flow fixtures reduce water use by more than 40%, and 60% of the furniture was reclaimed or re-used, including wooden arches that were constructed from antique timbers reclaimed from nearby buildings that were scheduled to be demolished.

Designed as a multi-purpose facility for offices, product display and social events, the space minimizes the use of "hard" walls, and its furniture selection allows for frequent reconfiguration. Space is maximized through design components that accentuate the 25 foot ceiling height.

InterfaceFLOR's Shanghai facility is scheduled to open later this month. This is the second Interface facility to receive LEED certification; the company's Atlanta showroom received the first ever LEED-CI platinum certification in 2004.

The USGBC developed the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system to encourage the development of more sustainable buildings and interiors.