Click on image to enlarge

In addition to communicating New Balance’s heritage and commitment to innovative products, this highly flexible new prototype reflects the company’s new sustainability objectives. “At the store level, we believe it’s important to work on lowering our environmental impact,” says Kirsten Marchand, store planning manager for New Balance.

Reducing Materials
The prototype incorporates a variety of recycled and sustainable materials, low–VOC materials and finishes, and low–voltage lighting. But beyond selecting materials and lighting for their lower environmental impact, WD Partners emphasizes reducing the amount of materials used wherever possible, according to Eric Daniel, who led the design firm’s project team.

“You can’t have a conversation about green without considering the elements that you can do without altogether. If something doesn’t have to be built, that’s even better for the environment,” says Daniel.

Even seating allowed for a greener—and more flexible—approach. “We created display benches, each fabricated the same way, pre–drilled to accept hardware,” says Daniel. For seating benches, the store attaches cushioned pads. Where display space is needed, hardware slips into the predrilled holes.

Greener Materials
The primary material in the store is an FSC–certified, non’urea formaldehyde–added hardwood plywood finished with a water–borne clear coating. The cashwrap and service area feature ecoX, which incorporates 70 percent post–consumer and post–industrial recycled concrete, while the slatwall comprises Dakota Burl, a composite board made from waste sunflower seed husks.

Green isn’t necessarily more expensive; the cost depends on the materials selected, Marchand says. “The initial barrier is the extra time required to understand the green design process and to share the vision with all of the project’s contributors,” she says.