14 Maple Avenue, Morristown, New Jersey

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The idea of moving to a “green” office space grew out of a desire to live our values as carefully as we fund them. How could Dodge support a sustainable community and growth in our hometown of Morristown? 

A green building itself is not a value, but it is a response to a larger value of sustainability, of committing to reducing our impact on increasingly fragile ecosystems and limited natural resources. Furthermore, a green office space in the heart of Morristown’s vibrant downtown would help us reconnect with neighborhood life, shops and our partners and friends in the community – important connections that our current location makes difficult.

We found a partner in the Morristown Parking Authority who agreed to build its four-story headquarters, which will house new office space for Dodge and fellow tenants The Seeing Eye, the Fannie E. Rippel Foundation and the Morristown Partnership, with the goal of becoming LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. The headquarters will be one of only a few LEED-certified buildings in north Jersey, and one of only a handful of LEED-certified projects in the U.S. that includes both an office building and a parking garage.

When discussing the design of this new building, we must underscore that the central and defining nature of green design is that it requires a holistic approach: considering each component of the building, in relationship to the context of the whole building, while also considering the impact on the wider environment and community around it.  This is a highly complex approach that requires the builders, architects and designers to think creatively to thoroughly integrate the systems in the design of this building.

Each building project, we should also point out, has unique needs and characteristics. There is no one “right” solution that will work in every situation; however, a holistic approach to the design generally ensures a building that will deliver lasting value to the owners, users, and the community at large.

We hope that our insights on both the process and the product will be useful to others who make the decision to “go green.” You can learn more about the building's highlights and see a slideshow of the construction progress. We invite you to visit our blog as well, for the most current ideas, events, and news we're thinking about, seeing and learning.