The Design Habits of Highly Effective Office Spaces

Environmental responsibility is one of Jama’s core values. Like many in the Pacific Northwest, we strive to live in harmony with our environment. Earlier this year we moved to a new headquarters office, and much of the planning around the office design and amenities centered on making sure that the office was as environmentally friendly as possible. For example, all of the light fixtures in the office are energy efficient LED lights, all of which are attached to motion sensors to turn themselves off automatically when no one is in the area. We have large windows that allow for lots of natural light–even on those grey, Pacific Northwest days! Because of this, the light fixtures closest to the windows are connected to light meters that automatically dim them as the amount of natural light increases.

photo by Rob Reynolds of Reynolds Wulf Photography

Our central location in downtown Portland is well-served by public transportation and bikeways. About half of our employees take public transit to work and another 23% walk or ride their bike. In this year’s Portland Bike Commute Challenge our team logged 5,943 commuting miles!

photo by Rob Reynolds of Reynolds Wulf Photography

Additionally, we supply reusable dishes, silverware, and glasses; utilize Energy Star compliant appliances; encourage the reduction of paper usage in the office; provide recycling boxes at every work station, but centralized garbage cans to divert as much waste as possible to recycling. We also participate in the City of Portland’s workplace composting program; utilize low-flow faucets and toilets; and work with a janitorial company that uses environmentally friendly cleaning products. These and many other small choices add up to big environmental impact.

By the end of the year, we hope to be certified as a Green Business by the City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability.

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Anthony Szabo

Senior Compliance Program Manager at Zapproved

Experienced project manager, organizer, and communicator. My passion is for making projects and people successful and keeping organizations on track as they scale. I have strong skill sets in both the practical and the interpersonal aspects of project management. This balance allows me to lead and develop teams confidently. Certified Project Management Professional (PMP).