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| Starbucks Tukwila,
Washington |
Serving up sustainable java has become the hottest trend among hip
cafes, but other than recycled napkins and wooden stirrers, that’s
pretty much where the green initiative ends…until now. As
the prototype for an innovative line of LEED certified cafes, Starbucks
opened its first drive-thru coffee shop in Tukwila,
Washington constructed from reclaimed shipping containers.
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| Starbucks Tukwila,
Washington |
The shop, designed by Tony Gale III, Starbucks’ corporate architect
and architect of record for the project, has not yet received official LEED certification, but has been set up to meet all requirements.
According to the company’s official blog, “the building itself serves as
a sign post, while form painting on the asphalt intuitively guides
customers into the drive-thru. Rainwater collected from the roof of the
drive-thru is used to nourish surrounding landscaping. Xeriscaping
(selecting plants that naturally require less water) helps reduce water
consumption. And in the event that the store needs a new location, the
entire structure can be disassembled and moved.”
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| Tony Gale |
Starbucks believes that its sustainably designed Reclaimation
Drive-Thru is the first step in reaching its goal of universally
building new company-owned stores to be LEED-certified.
Will this cutting edge project be the wave of future? You be the judge — check out this
slideshow of images on inhabitat featuring Starbucks’s greenest coffee shop.
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