Recreational Equipment Inc. plans to open a new 32,700-square-foot store near Austin, Texas, this fall. The store will be the second location of the company's new retail prototype design, which incorporates green building concepts. The two-story REI will be in Round Rock, Texas.
The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED certification system for retail is currently in its pilot stage. REI's Boulder, Colo., store is expected to be the company's first to be certified under the new program.
“Our increased focus on green buildings and the community began with our Seattle flagship store in 1996,” said Brian Unmacht, REI's senior vice president of sales, store development and logistics. “Since then, we've continued to develop stores that represent our dedication to the outdoors by reducing the environmental impacts of such buildings and helping to inspire outdoor recreation.”
To lessen the building's carbon footprint, several of the planned green building features include the use of natural lighting and energy efficient systems, solar hot water, sustainable materials and water reduction measures.
REI says it will use the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) point system to measure the success of all of its new buildings going forward. The company will analyze the Boulder and Round Rock locations extensively before opening a third prototype store currently targeted for 2010. Findings from these stores will help REI make decisions on how it approaches store design and construction in the future.
