Patagonia Building a Model for Green Planning

The newly built Patagonia distribution center and office facility in Reno, Nevada, benefits from leading-edge environmental analysis and planning, even within its conventional form. Designers of the 184,000 ft2 (17,000 m2) building, the Miller|Hull Partnership of Seattle, Washington, used a detailed environmental assessment process with the building, in which they addressed five major areas of environmental impact: global emissions, local interactions, energy conservation, resource usage, and indoor environment. Through this process they were able to make a simple tilt-up concrete building into an energy-efficient and comfortable workplace, with a greatly reduced environmental footprint.

The building’s developer, Security Capital Industrial Trust, was committed to funding only a conventional building, with Patagonia taking on the cost of all energy and environmental upgrades. Due in part to the large investment it had in the finished building, Patagonia chose to exercise an option to purchase it upon completion. So far, Patagonia staff are very pleased with their investment. “It’s a very, very comfortable building,” says Distribution Center Director Dave Abeloe. “It’s very well lit, and the heating systems work very well.”