REI Goes Green in Texas
Seattle based outdoor apparel and equipment retailer Recreational Equipment Inc. will open its second prototype store in Round Rock, Texas, in fall 2008. The new two-story, 32,700-square-foot store is part of REI’s green-store initiative. REI’s first prototype store opened in Boulder, Colo., last October. Global design, planning and strategic consulting firm Gensler designed both stores using the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Retail rating system. The building will use natural lighting and energy-efficient systems, solar hot water, sustainable materials and water-reduction measures. REI’s Portland, Ore., store became the first REI location to earn a LEED gold rating in 2004. The company now has several stores that are LEED goldor silver-certified, as well as a recently opened distribution center in Bedford, Pa., that received a LEED silver rating for new construction.
