Method founders innovate with new factory in Chicago

Method Manufacturing Facility

Zach Mortice of Line//Shape//Space compares railcar manufacturer George Pullman to the Method founders, Eric Ryan and Adam Lowry.  Ryan and Lowry sought to establish a center for manufacturing in the historic Pullman neighborhood.  Pullman is known for provoking an epic strike that hindered the rail industry during the late 1800’s.  Unlike Pullman, the Method founders have created a “do-good” company, producing sustainable products.  Method’s soap ingredients are assessed across five measures and certified nontoxic and non harmful by the Cradle to Cradle Certified program.

Method offers financial incentives to suppliers who incorporate sustainability in their operations.  “Sustainable architecture is couched in terms of how to do less harm, not in terms of how much good a building can do,” Mortice explains.  William McDonough designed the factory to function like a tree, generating energy and growing food, as trees separate carbon to expend oxygen.  The remarkable design is LEED Platinum certified and hosts the world’s largest rooftop greenhouse, which will be fully planted this fall.

Read Zach Mortice’s full story on Line//Shape//Space.