First Green Car Dealership Opens in the U.S.

Contrary to popular opinion, a car dealership can be sustainable, says design firm Gensler.

Staff -- Interior Design, 9/20/2006 12:00:00 AM

Gensler aims to have the first LEED certified car dealership. The design, planning, and strategic consulting firm aims to land a LEED Silver rating from the U.S. Green building Council for a Toyota facility near Dallas.

The 53,000-square-foot, two-story Pat Lobb Toyota in McKinney, Texas, already registered with the National Green Building Association, includes water-efficient bathroom faucets, high-efficiency lighting, an aluminum exterior made up of 80 percent recycled materials, and carpet incorporating recycled automotive windshield glass. Savvy design elements include a car wash using recycled water and a heating system incorporating waste oil from oil changes.

On the dealership's grounds, bicycle racks cater to cycling employees, preferred parking for vans encourages ride sharing, and water collected from rainwater and condensation irrigates a landscape composed of disease-resistant native Texas plants.

"Initially, the general assumption was that it would be impossible for a car dealership to go green and meet the stringent requirements to do so," says Gensler Dallas' Rick Ferrara, project director for the new dealership. "We believe this project will serve as an example that sustainability can be made a natural part of any building type."

The facility is located at 3350 S. Central Expressway at El Dorado Parkway in McKinney, Texas.