Starbucks Vows LEED Goal for New Stores

The Seattle outfit will also sources materials and employ craftsmen on a localized basis, as well as incorporate reused and recycled elements where possible.

Nicholas Tamarin -- Interior Design, 7/14/2009

Slinging joe may sound like a basic concept, but java giant Starbucks is kicking it up a notch for the planning and design of the next round of their ubiquitous stores. Matching the shade of their logo, the Seattle-based company is aiming to achieve LEED certification for all new company-operated stores beginning in 2010, in addition to providing licensed stores and other business partners with design plans and guidance on construction.

The Northwest outfit is planning to sources materials and employ craftsmen on a localized basis, as well as incorporate reused and recycled elements where possible, including its famous cups. It will also attempt to derive 50 percent of the energy used in its company-operated stores from renewable sources by 2010 via energy-saving actions including replacing the incandescent bulbs in its spaces with LEDs.

The back-to-basics approach is spearheaded by Arthur Rubinfeld, the president of Starbucks Global Development and the executive credited for creating the store atmosphere that helped define the brand in the early 1990's. Rubinfeld returned to the company last year.

"Ultimately, we hope customers will feel an enhanced sense of community, a deeper connection to our coffee heritage and a greater level of commitment to environmental consciousness," says Rubinfeld.

Starbucks recently completed construction on two stores in Seattle, including one just blocks from its original location, and one in Paris that reflect their new design strategy.



Images courtesy of Starbucks.