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by Tracy Dillon

With a history of promoting sustainability through its merchandise, prANA now carries that philosophy through in this store. The natural, but sophisticated environment incorporates reclaimed, renewable, recyclable, and sustainably harvested materials that minimize offgasing.

Making rust eco-friendly
Metal elements throughout the space feature an oxidized rust finish created by Laurel Manufacturers’s staff for prAna. “It took us several months and many practice pieces to develop and test, but the finish is 100% biodegradable,” says Tricia Sell, vice president of sales and marketing for Laurel. No chemicals were used to accelerate development of the rust, and the proprietary process is durable enough that the rust doesn’t peel or fall off when rubbed, she says.

Working with fallen trees
With prior experience sourcing eco-conscious materials, Laurel sought several new materials for this store. No trees were cut down to build the fixtures; in fact, most of the fixture wood is reclaimed. Fallen logs, dried and cut into timber for the store, evoke nature as live-edge walnut slabs.

Eliminating finishes altogether where possible, Laurel tried to keep wood finishes natural- and water-based. A natural, hand-rubbed oil brings out the beauty of the wood on the walnut table, perimeter shelving, and inside entry.

Solid and plywood bamboo meet functional needs for portions of the back wall and some fixture bases and is rapidly renewable. Instead of acrylic and plexi, which are used sparingly, the fixtures employ 100% recyclable cracked glass.

Veneer, which Laurel laid up by hand at its factory for the 37-foot perimeter wall system, was provided by plants that meet the requirements of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). Glues and resins did not include any added urea-formaldehyde and all sealants were low-VOC. “Building the wall system was labor-intensive,” Sell explains. “We applied the veneer by hand, hand-pieced the wall, and then took a team of three from our staff to install the wall on-site.” Because of its complexity, the installation took two weeks.

And more for the future
In conjunction with prAna’s two initial flagships and a third scheduled to open later this year in San Francisco, Laurel developed and built a five-piece fixture package for prAna’s wholesalers. They incorporate the same materials and finishes, including the distinctive oxidized rust finish. Designed to be completely knocked down, the fixtures are shipped directly to the wholesaler and assembled on-site. Following 30 locations in 2008, prAna plans to provide the fixture package to some 400 locations this year.