Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) opened a new store in Round Rock, Texas, last year that tested several retail design and green building concepts.

Solar panels on a store roof, a green retail initiative - Photo: Association for Retail Environments

The prototype store sports recyclable carpet, rubber flooring, a rooftop solar power array, solar thermal water system, natural lighting, and energy efficient insulation, appliances and HVAC system, among other features. REI's Round Rock, Texas, store deemed Project of the Year in the A.R.E.'s inaugural Sustainability Awards.

The Association for Retail Environments (A.R.E.) singled out the LEED-Gold certified store last week for its holistic design aesthetics and functionality, naming it the Project of the Year in its inaugural Sustainability Awards.

A North Face store in Boise, Idaho, and the Founding Farmers restaurant in Washington, D.C., tied for second place, followed by three projects that earned Outstanding Merit awards.

Founding Fathers tied for second place in A.R.E.'s inaugural Sustainability Awards.

The awards also recognized individual contributors for each project. For example, also receiving kudos for the REI store were design firm Gensler, visual element suppliers Lehrman Cameron Studio and Tempest Technologies, and fixture companies Grand & Benedicts Store Fixtures, High Country Millwork, Leader Manufacturing Inc., Reeve Store Equipment Co., and Rudy Rack.

Reclaimed wood from a West Virginia barn and Georgia textile mill was used in the construction of Founding Farmers in Washington, D.C., a restaurant that promotes sustainable food and wine. Nearly half of the materials used to build and operate the LEED-Gold certified eatery were manufactured within 500 miles, while 90 percent of construction waste was recycled.  Fifty percent post-consumer recycled paper is used in the counter tops and sustainably harvested wood pulp and waste cover the walls.

This North Face store in Boise, Idaho, tied for second place in A.R.E.'s inaugural Sustainability Awards.

North Face restored previously closed-off windows with high efficiency glazing at its store in Boise, Idaho, to enhance natural light. Buildings materials are largely recycled or recyclable, such as recyclable porcelain tile with low-VOC, carpet made with renewable fiber and recycled content, sustainably harvested wood feature walls, bamboo shelving, and 15 percent recycled content grout, among other features.

The Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Denham Springs, La., Canadian Tire Smart Store in Welland, Ontario, Canada, and a Timberland store at London’s Westfield Shopping Center each earned an Outstanding Merit nod.

By GreenerBuildings Staff