More than two years ago, the Kroger Co. (Cincinnati) started down a new path in the company’s 126-year history by deciding to design its first supermarket using the USGBC’s LEED green building rating system. At the time, Ken Pray, Kroger’s director, store design, said customers were sending a clear message that environmental awareness was a priority and that they expected the grocery chain to take some leadership in this area.
Kroger was already implementing several energy-saving technologies, such as skylights and heat reclamation, features not always visible to customers. At the same time, the company was redesigning a Fred Meyer grocery store in Portland, Ore., with a new merchandising concept that sought to make organic products mainstream. “We thought if we’re going to do something unique with the merchandise concept, we also needed to do more with the store design,” says Pray. Working with MulvannyG2 (Portland, Ore.), the company began navigating the LEED process and, in July, celebrated the store’s official reopening. While a three-month performance period is underway to gather real-world data as part of the final LEED submission process, there’s still plenty to talk about.
Source: VMSD
Click here to read further and to go to the slideshow of the LEED certificated supermarket.
No comments:
Post a Comment