Small Biz

An Office Renovation Pays for Itself

How Elias Dagher turned his 10,000-square-foot office space into a working laboratory for sustainable systems-and reduced his electric bill

By Nick Leiber

When Elias Dagher set out to renovate the 10,000-square-foot office space he leases for his company, Dagher Engineering, in an Art Deco building in Manhattan's historic Financial District, he decided to go green. The Lebanese-born, U.S.-educated engineer wanted to demonstrate his personal commitment to environmental sustainability, create an appealing workplace for his employees, and show clients working examples of sustainable building systems in an aesthetically pleasing space. The renovation cost around $1 million, or about $100 per square foot, a cost Dagher says is on par with a traditional commercial office renovation in lower Manhattan.

The results are paying off. Dagher's office became one of the first in the country to receive LEED Gold Certified Commercial Interior certification, the second highest rating of "greenness" in its category, from the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council. His electric bill dropped by thousands of dollars a year. And Dagher says the office serves as "the perfect pitch" for potential clients. Click on for a tour of the renovated office, with some of the costs and benefits highlighted.