When The Cloud Institute moved to its new offices, we wanted to make our new home environmentally friendly and comfortable by using only sustainable, natural and recycled materials. A like-minded team including Environmental Construction Outfitters, Claire Weisz of Weisz and Yoes Architects and bio-sculptor Jackie Brookner helped us realize this dream.

The pleasant sound of trickling water greets you as you enter our office. Designed by Jackie Brookner, this eco-functional sculpture helps us conserve water while naturally cooling and filtering the ambient air.

Fish, moss, lava rock, gravel and aquatic plants work in harmony to filter water that is then used to water the office's many plants. Natural evaporation, which humidifies the air during the dryer winter months, also helps maintain the water level. Interestingly, we tried capturing the condensation produced by the air-conditioner (approximately 10 gallons a day when the thermostat is kept at 80 degrees!), but the high level of metals in the water did damage to the bio-sculpture.

The window frames accenting our internal walls were scavenged by hand from Stan's of Kingston, a salvage yard in Kingston, NY. The floors are made from sustainably harvested Canadian maple shorts, which are usually ground into sawdust or simply discarded. Although their installation is more labor intensive, the materials are significantly less expensive than longer boards, and the resulting floor patchwork detail is visually stunning.

Our conference room (pictured above) is available for use at a rate of $300 per day. It seats 30 around tables, and up to 35 if seating is arranged theater style. Easels, overhead projector, slide projector, televison and a PC/Mac-to-TV conversion device are also available for use.

The walls and desks are made from recycled wood taken from deconstructed factories in Brooklyn. Most of the materials come from retired structural beams. The cabinets and bookshelves are made from wheat board, which is durable, non-toxic, affordable and smells like sweet wheat. The furniture - chairs, tables and filing cabinets - were all pre-owned and purchased at Bergen Office Furniture. The phones were also pre-owned and refurbished.

The wood was whitewashed with non-toxic paint and sealers to give the space a light and uniform appearance.

Compact flourescent lightbulbs with upward reflectors create pleasant illumination, while conserving energy. Adjustable window shades minimize heat and glare, but let in the morning sun. In combination with plants, fans and the biosculpture, the shades and energy-efficient lighting helps us minimize use of the air-conditioning system and keep energy bills low.