Manhattan Magazine: Second Nature

Suzanne Gannon – Manhattan Magazine

CookFox’s ethos, evidenced in the interiors of its office, the first LEED Platinum-certified office in the city—recycled carpets, natural-wood cubicles, auto-dimming lights, waterless urinals and a curved wall of glass windows—is inspired by the biophilia hypothesis. First introduced by psychoanalyst Erich Fromm and later embraced by biologist E.O. Wilson, biophilia theorizes that human beings possess innate connections with the other living things in their environment.

“We all want to feel part of something larger,” says Cook, a sustainability advocate who believes in the healthful benefits of sunlight, greenery and natural materials in the workplace and the home. “You’re practicing good stewardship when you view life as something to leave to the next generation rather than to use for your own instant gratification.”

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