What does a sustainable retail space mean?

So in my last post (just a few hours ago) I talked a bit about how we might get more sustainable commercial spaces. What might such spaces look like, and what are some of the benefits? Some aspects might be obvious, while others are more subtle.

Energy Efficiency

This is likely the most obvious to most people, since human-released carbon dioxide is a major contributor to climate change. An energy efficient space in northern climates should be well-insulated - dual pane glass (when glass is necessary), thick, well-insulated walls, and even rotating doors when possible. A standalone, one-story retail building will be less efficient than a multi-story building, because there is more external surface area per square foot of interior space. Various building systems, especially geothermal heat exchangers and energy efficient lighting, can also reduce energy usage. Besides solar panels, other elements include natural lighting and solar heat gain in the winter - south-facing windows are excellent for this.

In tropical climates, many of these rules can be thrown out the window - it's all about protection from the sun and maximum air circulation, while desert and coastal climates will require different approaches. There's no one solution for all situations, which makes these interesting problems to solve!

Material Sourcing

A little less obvious (outside of BGI, that is) is the importance of where everything comes from. The stream is quite complex and involves workers at various stages, the environmental impacts from raw material harvesting, transportation, and many other inputs. Suffice it to say, this is no small part of making a space sustainable

Access

How do people get to the building? Do they drive? Walk? Take transit? Where are they traveling from? Is parking free (encouraging people to drive) or is it a hassle (which could deter customers?) Access has a big impact on a building's indirect environmental impacts.

Other aspects

Water use, waste streams, and direct impacts on the surrounding area all play a part. And the building's impact on its users is often forgotten. Is the building comfortable? Quiet? Does it provide a connection to nature? How about the aesthetics? Is it a pleasant place to be and work? Is the lighting designed for emotional well-being and calm concentration, or is it harsh and artificial? There's no triple bottom line without a focus on People.

What it comes down to is this: sustainable isn't so simple! There are many things to consider, and likely some low-hanging fruit in every situation. With the right rigor and tools, we should be able to easily discover the quick fixes as well as the more substantial changes that can happen to make commercial spaces work better for people and the environment.

What else do you see as important aspects of sustainable commercial spaces?

Foggy Windows

A major opportunity for energy savings, particularly in urban areas, is tenant improvements. In the last couple days I've spent time at businesses with drafty single-pane windows. Despite being attractive spaces, they were physically uncomfortable. My feet were cold, and I had to keep my down jacket on just to keep from shivering. The windows were foggy, and despite the heat running, all of the tables by the windows were freezing. Turning up the heat wouldn't do much except to bleed energy. 

This is similar to the 1900's era house I lived in for 5 years. We'd run the heat, and once the space hit the set temperature, it would only take a few minutes for the heat in the space to leak out. I imagine if the owners lived in the house they would replace or repair the windows and re-insulate the walls to save on heating bills and make the space more comfortable. But in a landlord's market like Seattle where the tenants usually pay their energy bills (and are often motivated to reduce energy use for ethical reasons), they don't have much motivation to make their properties more efficient.

What could be done to change this dynamic? How could landlords or tenants (or both, in conjunction) be motivated to choose better spaces or improve existing ones? 

One would simply be to enact laws mandating energy-saving improvements by landlords when tenants turn over. This isn't likely to be politically tenable in most places, as business owners would feel put upon. Voluntary action is more likely to be the way forward. 

Another idea would be to restructure lease agreements, whether through the legal system or on a case-by-case basis, so that the financial benefits, and costs, of energy-saving tenant improvements are shared between tenants and landlords. A third, which is already done to some extent, would be tax incentives or other government financial tools (residential tax incentives generally favor homeowners rather than renters or landlords).

What I'll be focusing on in the next few months is creating a tool to make the choice to go green for tenants obvious, by clearly showing the financial payoff of improvements, or of picking a space that is already suitable. The latter is important, as well-informed tenants can help push the real estate industry in the right direction. For instance, if a coffee shop owner wants to open a location in a new neighborhood, he can negotiate with landlords based on energy efficiency and other green design features - pushing landlords to at least consider these aspects as important elements of attracting tenants. The more tenants demand sustainable retail spaces, the more landlords will be pushed to improve their spaces.

Likewise, a tenant may decide to work with their existing landlord to improve their existing space based off the various benefits - monetary and otherwise - of doing so. 

So what tools already exist? The National Resource Defense Council already has a pilot project in the works. The key in the next two quarters will to be to build on this to develop a more robust tool to drive tenant and landlord decisions.

More to come!