STORES Magazine - February 2009 - (Page 34)

NUTS AND BOLTS / SUSTAINABILITY Building Better in Boise The North Face hopes to spin “green” design into LEED Gold BY JANET GROEBER P reservationists and sustainability talking heads agree the greenest space is the one already built. For The North Face, the San Leandro, Calif.-based manufacturer of apparel, footwear, equipment and accessories for explorers and other outdoor enthusiasts, sustainability and conservation form the core of its environmental stance. The company is taking a holistic and systematic approach to creating long-term sustainable business practices to advance the well-being of the planet, from the impact of its product lifecycle to the very places where it sells those goods. Store 24 in Boise, Idaho, is a testament to that eco-friendly pledge, even going so far as to seek Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Level Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council — a first for the brand, though it has been specifying sustainable materials in its store construction for many years. LEED focuses on five areas: sustainable site development; water savings; energy efficiency; materials and resources selection; and indoor environmental quality. LEED certified buildings are, by definition, at least 15 percent more efficient than code buildings. The choice of Boise, nationally recognized as a city with one of the most active outdoor communities, seems natural. “We are proud to connect with the area’s very active outdoor community and to share our sustainability efforts through innovation, exploration and education,” says Lindsay Rice, The 34 STORES / FEBRUARY 2009 North Face’s vice president, direct to consumer. Housed in a 100-year-old building in Boise’s historic central business district, the newest North Face store opened in November. It occupies 8,665 sq. ft. on two floors of The Mode, a threestory, wood and brick structure named for the local department store that traded there for decades before closing in 1991. ON THE LEED LIST: • Sustainable site development • Water savings • Energy efficiency • Materials and resources selection • Indoor environmental quality A row of second-floor windows — shuttered since a 1958 fire — have been uncovered and restored with high-efficiency glazing that now allows light to stream into the space, contributing both daytime lighting and passive solar heating to the space. In fact, the entire facade was treated to a facelift of the most eco-conscious manner. Local landlord Baum Development and Southfield, Mich.-based retail design consultancy JGA elected to paint the exterior The North Face’s familiar red using low-VOC (volatile organic compounds), low-odor paint. The team also incorporated a wide range of high-efficiency and energy conservation systems including lighting, HVAC and a high-tech air filtering system that fills the store with fresh, clean air. WWW.STORES.ORG http://WWW.STORES.ORG

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of STORES Magazine - February 2009

STORES Magazine - February 2009 Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page Are You a Pusher or a Puller? What Shoppers Think Online Retail Satisfaction 10 Things You May Have Missed Numbers Worth Counting Full Price/Markdown Retail People Cover Story - Something’s Got to Give First Look Concept2Watch Online Partners Merchandising Sustainability Inventory Systems Drug Store Systems Business Intelligence Inventory Managment Online Marketing Supply Chain - Better Data, Better Decisions Returns Management - Identifying Fraud Data Security - Securing Intimate Data Anti-Shoplifting - Mall of Shame? Risk Management - Securing Consumer Confidence Loeb Retail letter ARTS Update Point of View NRF News Retail Crossword Retail Industry Calendar End Cap

STORES Magazine - February 2009

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