The Census's October move from a depressing 1942 office building to a state-of-the-art eco-compound took some getting used to. "They made a major shift from an enclosed, cellular work environment to one that is 85 or 90 percent open," says SOM Interior Design partner Stephen Apking.

Meetings and collaborative work take place in several acoustically controlled duplex wooden boxes that dot the building's spine. Earth-friendly moves include planted roofs to help insulate the building and reduce storm-water runoff, intelligent lighting that brightens as the sun goes down, and modular carpet tile that can be 100 percent recycled. To maximize the amount of natural light hitting desks, the building is just 75 feet wide, with open workstations in the 25-foot sections closest to the windows. (The window screens are made of sustainably harvested oak.) Paints and adhesives used in construction were nontoxic, as are the products now used to clean the building - including the waterless urinals, which can save up to 45,000 gallons of water per year.