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• Store of the Year
• Fixture of the Year
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• Restaurant/Casual Dining
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• Hardline Specialty Store up to 3,000 sf
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• Hardline Specialty Store 3,001-7,500 sf
• Hardline Specialty Store 7,501 - 25,000 sf
• Softline Specialty Store up to 3,000 sf
• Softline Specialty Store 3,001 to 7,500 sf
• Softline Specialty Store 7,501 - 25,000 sf
• Specialty Store over 25,000 sf
• Sustainability
• In-Store Communications
• Lighting
• Store Fixtures
• Visual Presentation
• Wall Treatment

2012 Design Award Winners

Sustainability

Project of the Year

South St. Burger Co. Bayview Village, Toronto

Proving that commitment can overcome lack of experience in sustainable design, this project was designed to LEED Silver standards by designers with no prior LEED project involvement. Key to the endeavor was the integration of a multidisciplinary team early on with an independent commissioning agent. Innovative features offer not only environmental benefits, but also operational savings. And demonstrating good design rather than just green design, the store evolves the brand in its first mall concept to an upscale fast-casual restaurant catering to discerning, affluent shoppers.

The 40 to 100 percent cost increases for sustainable equipment are offset by two- to five-year paybacks through energy and waste savings. In lieu of a gas-fired heating unit to heat make-up air, two exhausthoods transfer heat from the char-boiler and fryers using a variable-speed fan. Calculated CO2 emissionreductions are 18.6 tons annually from the four high-efficiency fryers alone. An air-cooled icemachine saves 264,000 gallons of water annually. Also contributing to the store‘s low water usage rate (70 percent below EPAct) are low-flow toilets, faucets with sensors and aerators, and low-flow, pre-rinse spray valves.

While regional sourcing of building materials is not always feasible for retail projects,the strategy fit with the brand‘s practice of sourcing its food ingredients locally. For this store‘s building materials, 32 percent were manufactured within 800 kilometers (nearly 500 miles) of the project site and 12 percent were both extracted and manufactured within that range. Building materials feature 85 percent FSC-certified wood, 38 percent recycled content, all low-VOC adhesives and coatings, no added urea formaldehyde, and reclaimed wood.

Purchased renewable energy offsets all of the store‘s energy usage. In addition, energy-reducing strategies include Energy Star ratings on 93.9 percent of equipment and LEDs for 85 percent of lighting, including all signage illumination. Ventilation is 30 percent above ASHRAE 62.1-2004, and 10 cubic meters of construction waste was diverted.

Ongoing sustainability measures include a thermal comfort monitoring program and used cooking oil management. Consumers can learn about the store‘s green features via prominent in-store signage, table toppers, and online strategy explanations.

Grand Prize - Standalone

Fixtures Living South Coast Collection, Costa Mesa, Calif.

Serving customers looking to green their homes, this store is built to LEED Silver standards with energy efficiency beyond Title 24. Benchmarks include Energy Star labels on more than 90 percent of equipment, construction waste diversion of more than 75 percent, and water use reduction of 30 percent. Graywater from fixture displays is reused, and daylighting incorporates eight skylights, glare-minimizing glazing, and lighting controls and occupancy sensors. Graphics touting sustainable product offerings are themselves made with recycled content and low VOCs, while a “Greenius” quiz educates customers about sustainable store features. Multidisciplinary collaboration from the initial ecocharrette enabled completion in ten months, and a post-occupancy employee survey will identify any necessary adjustments to mechanical systems.

Grand Prize - Tenant Improvement

Kiehl's Retail Store and Spa 1851 Lexington Avenue, New York City

With such features as operable windows, reclaimed red oak flooring, and low-VOC finishes, this space embodies the brand identity of natural, time-honored techniques while the historic building preservation honors the store‘s roots as an apothecary since 1851. Built to LEED Gold standards, the project involved coordination between retail, architect, and MEP teams even before design development. Consuming 30 percent less water than code requirements and 20 percent more energy-efficient than code, the store features all Energy Star appliances, 90 percent LED lighting, an additional cavity wall for insulation, vacancy sensors, double-glazed argon-filled window units, and shared-condenser, variable-speed, on-demand AC units. Materials include reclaimed metal ceiling tiles, recycled rubber flooring, and Sustainable Assessment Floor-certified linoleum.

Grand Prize - Tenant Improvement

South St. Burger Co. Bayview Village, Toronto

Designed by LEED rookies, this project was built to LEED Silver standards. With a multidisciplinary collaboration from early on, the store features a 70 percent water reduction, 93.9 percent Energy Star equipment, and renewable energy. The 40 to 100 percent cost increases for sustainable equipment such as exhaust hoods that reclaim heat from cooking units, an air-cooled ice machine, and high-efficiency fryers are offset by two- to five-year paybacks through energy and waste savings. Building materials feature 85 percent FSC-certified wood, 38 percent recycled content, 32 percent regional manufacture, 12 percent regional extraction and manufacture, and all low-VOC adhesives and coatings. Consumers can learn about sustainable features via prominent in-store signage, table-toppers, and the retailer’s website.

Outstanding Merit - Standalone

Canadian Tire Bowmanville, ON, Canada

An integrated design approach helped this retailer achieve a continuous improvement goal — the store is 75 percent more energy-efficient than the prior prototype. Contributing to this benchmark are such strategies as hydronic heating via high-efficiency boilers, demand-controlled ventilation, energy recovery ventilation, a diagonal T-8 lighting layout, auto heat shutoff tied to overhead doors in the service center, a white roof, thermal wall panels, auto shutoff ofperimeter lights tied to clerestory daylighting, and heat reclamation from automotive exhaust. With both LEED and Green Globes certification applied for, the project also features 63 percent less water usage due to low-flow fixtures, 76 percent diversion of construction waste from landfill, 20 percent recycled content, and 28 percent regional content in building materials, and in-store digital promotion of sustainable features.

Outstanding Merit - Tenant Improvement

JOY of PUMA: Revolutionizing the Factory Outlet Ontario Mills, Ontario, Calif.

With numerous disciplines including researchers and scientists involved early on, this store‘s carbon footprint is 25 percent smaller than previous iterations, as certified by the Global Research Institute. A «design by subtraction” philosophy also yielded 30 percent lower energy consumption as well as fewer materials overall thanks to the lack of partition walls. All wood is renewable, all metals are recycled, and Plyboo and Wheatboard are both FSC-certified. LED lighting in a diagonal pattern significantly reduces the lighting quantity and power load. Modular construction methods further reduce waste. And an independent Cx is providing ongoing commissioning. For this project, less truly is more.

Innovation in Energy

Chevron ExtraMile Beaverton, Ore.

While fossil fuels are often perceived as part of the sustainability problem, this gas station/C-store sets new standards as part of the solution. It uses not one, but several energy features that are rare in retail, particularly among C-stores. A geothermal heating and cooling system provides thermal comfort at negligible operating costs. In addition to reducing cooling needs inside the store, a green roof absorbs water runoff and helps improve water quality in the surrounding area. On the remainder of the roof, solar panels not only provide all of the store‘s energy, but also feed excess energy to the local grid. LED lighting throughout further reduces energy needs. The systems work in harmony to create net-zero energy use.

Design for Disassembly

JOY of PUMA: Revolutionizing the Factory Outlet Ontario Mills, Ontario, Calif.

A fixturization kit of interchangeable stock parts enables this entire environment to be reconfigured without use of material handling equipment. While providing extreme flexibility for seasonal and inventory needs, this also enables the entire store to be packed up quickly and relocated to another site with little deconstruction and waste. With joinery comprising screws sans glue, fixtures can be taken apart without destroying the components. Combined with the use of 100 percent recyclable materials, this engineering strategy enables the store elements to be reused and/or recycled, revolutionizing not only Puma‘s factory, but the very concept of retail design.

Consumer Education & Outreach

Timberland EarthKeepers Flat Iron District, New York City, and Union Square, San Francisco

If this pop-up store for Timberland EarthKeepers footwear had no verbiage, the gist of the brand‘s sustainability message would still be communicated loudly and clearly before consumers even step inside. PET bottles sandwiched between steel mesh form walls that bespeak the recycled content focus, while the windows showcase the product and the recognizable logo crowning the structure leaves no doubt about the brand. Comprising the same materials as the shoes (a PET bottle and a half in the lining of every pair), the space also includes organic cotton (laces) and 42 percent post-consumer recycled content rubber (soles). Details are explained in succinct signage, while a community board touts a local environmental program and a computer leads consumers to a virtual tree planting.