Back in January, the Pyxl team moved into our new office at the Northshore Town Center, and we’re finally ready to give you a sneak peek of our new digs. When designing the office, being “green” was very important to us. We wanted to create an environmentally-friendly office to mirror our eco-conscious business practices. And we’re sure you’re wondering, “How exactly is Pyxl and its new office green?” Well, we’re here to tell you…

1. We’re a virtually paperless office.

We’ve been working at being paperless for the past year and a half, and by now we have it pretty nailed down. While there are those somewhat rare occasions that someone needs to print something or a fax needs to come through, we try our best use paper as minimally as possible. And when we need to get something printed, we use recycled paper and soy or vegetable-based ink.

2. We recycle.

This is a more obvious one, but it’s important for us to recycle in the office. With drop-off locations all around Knoxville, this is an easy way to be green.

3. All of our walls are painted with low-VOC paint.

“Green” paint has reduced toxins, so it’s much healthier than other types of paint. In addition, it reduces landfill, groundwater and ozone depleting contaminants. Low-VOC products perform well in terms of coverage, scrubability and hideability (meaning it doesn’t take as much paint to cover a wall), and it’s easy to clean up. There are little to no hazardous fumes and it’s not deemed “hazardous waste” like other types of paints.

4. Much of the décor in our office is made from reclaimed and sustainable hardwoods.

If you look around our office, you’ll find that most of our wood furniture and decor is reclaimed and sustainable. We utilized leftover furniture frames (which would have been otherwise thrown away) and rapidly renewable acacia wood around the space.

5. Soy is used in many of the chairs around the space.

Soy is another rapidly renewable material, so we utilized it in the cushions of the chairs around the office.

6. The grass-like rug in our waiting area is actually made of recycled tires.

Interesting, huh?! It was actually made by an entrepreneurial group of women in India. The group, which is aimed at teaching women how to support themselves, uses no forms of child labor.

7. Recycled metal, including scrap metal, is also used in much of our furniture.

Check out the side table in Brian’s office. Items that would have been thrown away make a great addition to the decor in there!

8. Our windows are covered with solar shades.

The solar shades on our windows reduce the amount of harmful rays coming in by 35%. This reduces the indoor temperature in the summer and thus reduces the amount of electricity needed to cool the office.

9. We have live plants.

Housing live plants in the large sustainable planter in our waiting area keeps the office air fresh and removes toxins from it.

10. We have a water feature.

The running water in our natural slate water feature acts as a natural humidifier, which adds moisture to the air and thus improves the air quality in our space.

11. Our kitchen features energy-efficient appliances.

Efficient appliances save on water and energy while helping reduce our impact on the environment.

12. We utilize bamboo, another rapidly renewable material.

Small items around the office — including coasters, cutting boards, and other kitchen items — utilize the rapidly-renewable material bamboo, which is considered the fastest growing woody plant, reaching full maturity in five to six years.

Want to see more of our new office? Head on over to the microsite for a video tour, more photos and some information on the partners who made the space possible. And of course, we’d love to have you stop in an see us soon!