| November
Sustainability Report
By Pat Vaughan, from the November 2005 Newsletter
You have probably visited or shopped at our new downtown Co-op
store by now. Isn’t it great?! And it will get better as
we grow into it over time.
The Sustainability Committee and our management
and design teams integrated many “green” initiatives into the remodel
project. If you’re like me, you’ll quickly appreciate
the warm feel and aesthetically pleasing décor. But take
a few minutes to also notice the many ways our new store accomplishes
function and feel while at the same time conserving, recycling
and re-using.
With the doors now open for business, here’s a review of
the many ideas that came to fruition—representing a commitment
to environmentally friendly commercial construction.
The first thing you might notice as you walk in
is what you are not walking
on. Instead of putting down new tile or linoleum, we just kept
the existing concrete floor. It was re-surfaced to retain an easy
functionality but a glossy, “stone-like” feel.
The new store feels very different than Gart’s (the previous
tenant). A big reason for that is paint and lighting. The ceiling
almost disappears with a very dark paint. This is a Rodda product
obtained locally from Moscow Building Supply and manufactured by
a Pacific Northwest company. Some of the wall paint is Rodda too.
Most of the walls have AFM Safecoat, purchased from Moscow’s
own Natural Abode store. As detailed in previous articles, much
research went into picking the safest paints with the best tint
options. (We’re talking beyond Material Data Safety Sheets
here—like how sustainably it is manufactured, bonding agents …)
It is all low VOC paint, and with great colors!
The fluorescent lighting was dropped down lower
so that it could be focused and use less electricity. Where there
used to be T-12 lights, our new store uses T-5. Three solar tubes
also bring daylight into the store, two in the freezer section
and one in the office space. I was in the frozen foods isle on
a cloudy day outside, and it was very well lit with no electricity!
Two “operable skylights” are installed in the upper
floor office area. They bring in the natural light, and they can
be opened to facilitate fresh air circulation through the store
on warm days.
Adding to energy savings is the new efficient
ceiling insulation added during the roofing, and a more precise
temperature control system for the gas forced-air heating system.
Re-using materials and appliances and choosing
materials with recycled components played a big part in furnishing
the store. You’ll
notice cedar paneling in several areas of the store: the deli,
the seating and stage area, the produce department, some shelving.
It is all re-used from the previous tenants. The countertops at
the cashiers’ stations are a recycled paper product and a
hemp fiber product. The shelving in the Wellness section is made
from an agricultural harvest byproduct—wheat straw. The counters
at the deli are made with sunflower hulls—no VOC or formaldehyde.
The raised wooden floor of the seating area and stage is from old
bleachers. Some of the coolers from the old Tidyman’s store
are being re-used in our new Co-op, and you’ll notice some
familiar shelving and accoutrements from our old store.
The bathrooms include light sensors that will
save electricity when they are not occupied. The promised dual-flush
toilets are installed, conserving water with a light flush option
for liquid loads. There are waterless urinals in the male bathroom
(pee goes through a membrane, down the drain, odor stays out).
And those countertops around the bathroom sinks are made with recycled
aluminum in a composite material.
The deli will utilize a hot water sterilizing
commercial dishwashing machine instead of a chemical cleaner. An
instantaneous water heater will save energy in the bathrooms and
produce preparation and storage area. There’s a meter on the conventional hot water heater.
Accurate volume usage will be determined, allowing us to select
and install the correct size and type of solar panels for hot water
heating throughout the entire store in the future.
I asked Kathleen Ryan, the chairperson of the
Sustainability Committee, what the key was to achieving so many
of their goals. “Start
from the beginning,” she said, “so that there’s
a team approach from the start of the planning stages. Our contractors,
architects and city inspectors were all very supportive. And coordinating
with the utility company right at the beginning is very cost effective.
They give great advice.”
What were some “hard” lessons learned? She wishes they
had diverted more construction waste so it could have been recycled
(with recycle dumpsters). “Time was a constraint. And budget
is always a constraint. But sustainable building practices don’t
have to cost more, especially considering the savings over time.
You just manage it.”
Pat Vaughan offers a big thank you to the committee,
management and the design team for the wonderful example of sustainability
that is our new Co-op. |
