Sustainability Revs Retail Sales
Sustainability isn’t just about doing the right thing anymore. (Even supervillains are building energy-efficient secret lairs.) It’s about getting a competitive edge, and we're excited to discuss the latest strategies and technology at our Sustainability: The Green Building Revolution event at the Four Seasons next Wednesday.
Retail is one beneficiary. Sustainable design can drive higher sales per SF, according to DLR Group principal Jason Dardis, who'll be speaking at the event. “We’re seeing increased use of LED lighting resulting in brighter space, with custom color temperatures, all while using less energy,” he says. Natural daylight also helps buyers pull out their wallets, and Jason says he’s seeing malls piping daylight into spaces using products like Parans, which uses solar collector lenses on the roof and fiber optics to bring daylight deep within a building.
LED's also good for highlighting sales displays, like here at Knacka, a shop in Portland. Another technology gaining ground in retail: virtual storefronts to extend sales hours and help provide a higher revenue per SF for tenant spaces, Jason says. Simply combine a holographic clear film projection on storefronts with touch capability paired with a computer, and retailers would have a web portal on a brick-and-mortar store, increasing sales without a major renovation, he notes.
Green design also benefits the hospitality industry, Jason says. “In the near future, your phone will be your be your key card,” he says. Once checked in online, a guest will receive a code similar to boarding pass barcode technology. Rooms will respond to the guest automatically, allowing custom settings and will shut down all power, lights, and air conditioning when guests leave the room. Our event also features DLR Group's Amarpreet Sethi, Google's Mike Nolan, the GSA's Don Horn, Paladino & Co's Tom Paladino, the City of Seattle's Sandra Mallory, Unico's Brett Phillips, and Vulcan's Brandon Morgan, with the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Mark Huppert and Daniels Real Estate's Kevin Daniels keynoting. Sign up here.
