(Credit: Google)Earlier this month, Google opened its first-ever retail store in New York City. With sustainability as a cornerstone of Google’s business strategy, the new store was designed and constructed with the highest sustainability standards.
From aesthetics to interactivity, the space was designed to be warm and inviting, while providing new ways to celebrate and experience Google through the company’s phones, displays, speakers, wearables and more.
A full-scale mockup of the space was first built at the company's retail hangar in Mountain View, where every element could be tested - the space, the layout, the technology and the overall experience for customers. Staff considered every immersive way people could learn about all the features of the company’s product line - Pixel phones, Nest products, Google Search, Google Assistant, Google Maps, YouTube, Stadia and many more.
Sustainability is a core tenet of how Google does business. In addition to Google-wide sustainability commitments, the company has made specific commitments to integrate sustainability into its products, including recyclable or renewable material by 2025, zero waste to landfill certification by 2022, and plastic-free packaging by 2025.
(Credit: Google)In keeping with these sustainability commitments, every element of the Google store - from the materials to the mechanical systems and more - was carefully considered and selected. For example, the veneer on the walls is a soft-gray responsibly-sourced hickory, each lighting fixture is energy efficient, and the custom cork and wood furniture was created with a local craftsman from Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Even the carpeting - manufactured with recycled materials - was attached in a sustainable way. As a result, the Google store is one of fewer than 215 retail spaces in the world to have achieved a LEED Platinum rating, the highest LEED certification possible.
