Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) said its next LEED-based prototype store will open Friday in Round Rock, Texas.
The 32,700 square-foot store was built from the ground up and is projected to consume 48% less energy than a typical store.
The nation’s largest retail cooperative opened its first prototype store in Boulder, Colo. in October 2007. That store received Chain Store Age’s 2007 Retail Store of the Year award in the environmental sustainability category. In the coming year, REI will examine the environmental and financial performance of the first two prototype stores before the company designs and constructs the third prototype.
The co-op will open its next store in Lincoln Park, Ill. on Oct. 3 and is applying for LEED certification to determine the rating of a more traditional REI store design.
Photovoltaics and sunflower seed husks
REI Round Rock was constructed using the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards and is part of the LEED for Retail pilot project.
The Round Rock store will generate a portion of its power from a building integrated photovoltaic system, solar panel installation and a solar hot water system. These features will generate 13% of the store’s electricity and heat 70% of the store’s water used for restrooms and employee showers. In addition, Solatubes will diffuse natural light, offsetting electrical consumption by an additional 5% as an automated lighting system dims or turns off unneeded artificial lighting throughout the store. All additional power needs will be met through green power, specifically energy generated from biomass digesters.
Other features that improve the store’s performance include highly efficient building insulation; state-of-the-art mechanical equipment and controls that monitor and regulate the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, saving 25% of energy consumption; a “cool” roof designed to reflect the sun’s radiation and save energy by lessening the store’s need for air conditioning by 10-15%; and water-efficient plumbing fixtures, which reduce water usage by 30%.
Sunflower seed husks, recycled tennis shoes, carpeting manufactured through a climate-neutral process, and reclaimed wood from fallen trees are incorporated throughout the store on the floor, perimeter walls, fixtures, displays, benches and table tops.
REI’s design partner for the prototype store is Gensler, a leading global design, planning and strategic consulting firm.
While the prototype initiative places a greater focus on green design, REI continues to ensure all of its new locations are reducing the company’s impact on the environment. The co-op will open its next store in Lincoln Park, Ill. on Oct. 3 and is applying for LEED certification to determine the rating of a more traditional REI store design.
