SANTA BARBARA, Calif., April 28, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- BKM Total Office, Santa Barbara, successfully partnered with the University of California, Santa Barbara, the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, and Steelcase, to build the highest performance, sustainable building to date, winning a special Caliber award from the International Interior Design Association, BKM's president, Pete Sloan, revealed today.
Bren Hall is now one of the greenest buildings in the United States, according to the standards issued by the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Green Building Rating System. BKM's contribution of Steelcase, Vecta, Details and Brayton products, and fabrics from Design Tex were required to meet functional and aesthetic demands as well as strict environmental criteria for recycled content and end-of-life recyclability. Stewart, Romberger & Associates (SRA) was instrumental, with BKM, in the completion of the interior space, helping to insure the space was both efficient and effective for the end user. SRA is a full service Architectural and Design firm servicing the Southern California market. The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) is a professional networking and educational association of more than 10,000 Members in 8 specialty Forums, 9 Regions, and more than 30 Chapters around the world committed to enhancing the quality of life through excellence in interior design and advancing interior design through knowledge.
BKM, whose acronym stands for "Because Knowledge Matters," is the nation's largest distributor of Steelcase products, a globally dominant $3 billion public company and manufacturer of innovative and technologically advanced contract office furniture.
BKM Enterprises, Inc. and affiliates are an international organization with seventeen locations throughout the United States and, most recently, in Baja California, Mexico and London, England. BKM offers a complete package of commercial services including interior flooring, remanufacturing, commercial moving and relocation, project management services, asset management, custom woodworking, rental furniture, and contract furniture products and services. Additionally, BKM provides customer specific solutions in the area of technology and energy related services.