Elephant Pharm

McCall Design Group Earns LEED Gold for Elephant Pharm

Elephant's Walnut Creek store is the country's first LEED-Certified pharmacy

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, January 30, 2009 – A 12,000 sq. ft. retail interior by McCall Design Group for Elephant Pharm in Walnut Creek, California, is the first drugstore concept to be certified as LEED® Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council.  In March 2007, the USGBC selected this project – chosen first among 25 others nationwide – for participation in the LEED for Commercial Interiors (CI) Pilot Program to help define green building design strategies for tenant-improvement retail businesses.  

LEED-CI criteria are now in place, and retail projects like this one are beginning to make their way through certification.  Elephant Pharm is the only LEED Certified drugstore in the USA and is the 8th such project to become LEED Certified under the LEED for Retail Pilot Program since its inception in 2006. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating System™ is the national benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings.

McCall Design Group's participation in the pilot program and this Gold certification affirm its well-recognized expertise in retail design and commitment to environmental stewardship through building design. A case study of this project is at www.mccalldesign.com/green/elephant.
 
Elephant Pharm’s holistic approach to pharmacy advances health, mental and physical well-being through merchandise, education, and community building.  “Environmental sustainability is so aligned with the client’s core philosophy of health and wellness that creating a LEED-certified space just made sense,” says Homer Perez, Associate, LEED A.P., who led the lengthy certification process at McCall Design Group and earlier participated in the pilot.  

“Our greatest successes were energy and water conservation,” Perez adds. A grid of skylights and the entry light shelf lessen the need for artificial light by allowing for abundant natural light – 90% of the store’s regularly occupied spaces receive daylighting.  Store management also worked with a renewable energy broker to contract Green e-certified clean energy sources and offset 100% of the pharmacy’s energy use from the nation’s electric grid. Plumbing fixtures demonstrate a 38% reduction of water use, compared to standard water usage.

The store features additional green building elements including use of recycled and rapidly renewable materials, paints and other finishes with low or no VOC (volatile organic compound) content, construction waste recycling, and air quality management practices during construction and post-occupancy.  The store design, contract documents, and LEED services were developed by McCall Design Group.  In 2008, Elephant Pharm in Walnut Creek won Chain Store Age’s Retail Store for the Year Award for Best Drug Store Concept.  This location is the third Elephant Pharm store in Northern California, and its green building and prototype design features will be the model for future expansion.
 
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About McCall Design Group
An award-winning architecture firm based in San Francisco, CA, McCall Design Group, www.mccalldesign.com, maintains a national and international practice.  The thirty-person firm is committed to sustainable design and emphasizes the creative process in a collaborative environment.  The firm’s clients include Banana Republic, Sephora, Nike, Williams-Sonoma, Victoria’s Secret, and HEB Grocery Company.  It was founded in 1989 by Michael John McCall.  The company's work has been published in numerous texts, periodicals and newspapers throughout the United States.  It was recently named one of the Top 20 Retail Design firms in the nation.

About Elephant Pharm
Elephant Pharm, the leading one-stop wellness store and complementary pharmacy, provides a vibrant alternative to typical chain drug stores. Founded in Berkeley, CA in 2002, Elephant acts as a bridge between conventional and alternative products and services, helping people make informed decisions about their health. In addition to traditional Rx and herbal pharmacies, customers will also find a selection of lifestyle products far beyond typical drugstore offerings, from natural and organic foods to healthy household supplies; from yoga gear to eco-friendly home accessories. The carefully selected team of wellness practitioners offers free, one-on-one consultations every day, and visiting experts lead hundreds of free classes and clinics every month. Elephant Pharm stores are natural community hubs dedicated to people seeking a good long life, well lived. The company has locations in Berkeley, San Rafael and Walnut Creek. For more information, visit www.elephantpharm.com.