Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Spring 2017 | Page 9

SUBARU 360°
ON THE MAP,
OFF THE GRID
Here’s an inspiring story about how one of the leading Subaru stores in the country —
Scott Subaru of Red Deer, Alberta — is taking corporate stewardship and concern for the
environment to bold new levels.
The vision of the dealer principal was to take a better, smarter and cleaner approach to
store design and construction. The inspiration came from Subaru of Indiana Automotive,
Inc. (SIA). In 2004, SIA became the first automotive manufacturer in North America to
achieve zero landfill status for a manufacturing facility. Zero-landfill status indicates that
the average single-family home creates more trash in a given year.
With these standards in mind, Garrett Scott asked himself and those around him at Scott
Subaru a simple question: “If it can be done in Indiana, why can’t it be done here?”
The first step was to purchase a former car dealership immediately adjacent to the current
home of Scott Subaru in Red Deer. It would be business as usual at the existing dealership
while the new home underwent a meticulous makeover.
For nearly a year, the new building was carefully dismantled and methodically repurposed.
Windows were saved for future use within the new build. Wires and cables were salvaged
and donated. Chairs, desks and other furniture were given to Habitat for Humanity. Even the
building itself was taken apart piece-by-piece; the pieces were purchased by a local farming
family and repurposed to create a large equipment storage facility.
When all was said and done, only six bins of refuse — containing broken drywall,
insulation and the like — were brought to landfill, an amazing accomplishment.
The vision for the new Scott Subaru is equally ambitious. When the shovels first hit ground
in April, sights were set on creating as small a footprint as possible. Following the “passive
haus” approach to architecture, the building envelope is designed to retain heat in winter
and stay cool in summer. Solar panels will be fitted on the roof to power the lights. Rainwater
will be captured. And the landscaping will be engineered to keep the exterior looking slick
without consuming much time, effort or energy.
Next year, we aim to revisit Scott Subaru and join them for their much-anticipated grand
opening celebration. In the meantime, let’s all take inspiration from what Garrett Scott and
his team have accomplished to date. They’ve reminded us that we can all do more… and
consume less along the way.
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