Golden Arches Seeks LEED Gold

The new McDonald’s in Cary, N.C., which rose Phoenix-like on the site of a 25-year-old Golden Arches that was torn down, is infused with a plethora of recycled materials and equipment. Ric Richards, the restaurant’s owner/operator, says he undertook that teardown and rebuild for two main reasons: “To be economically sound with energy-efficient methods and, at the same time, to provide a more modern, updated space for the enjoyment of my customers.”

In keeping with its eco-friendly aspirations, the restaurant’s green attributes include:

• Front counters made of recycled glass and concrete.

• Reused Energy Star-rated equipment from the former McDonald’s on the site.

• A variety of water-conservation systems, including low-flow toilets and urinals, as well as sink faucets with timed turn-off mechanisms.

• Energy-efficient LED lighting in the restaurant’s dining room, order counter and back-of-house operations. “Roughly 95 percent of the lighting in the restaurant is LEDs,” says Mike Rogers, vp, Cree LED Lighting (Durham, N.C.), the project’s lighting contractor. “The brightness and efficiency of LEDs is now high enough to replace many traditional light sources including PAR style lightbulbs, recessed downlights and troffers.”

Beyond the building itself, the surrounding site is home to several other sustainable features, including a parking lot made of recycled concrete and landscaping consisting of native and adaptive plants that require little or no irrigation.

The Cary location is one of 10 prototype green restaurants that McDonald’s Corp. is using as “learning laboratories” in a corporate-wide effort to beef up its eco-friendly image in the eyes of consumers. Richards said he expects to hear whether his restaurant won Gold-level LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council later this fall.

Project Participants:

Client
McDonald’s, Cary, N.C. – Ric Richards, owner/operator; Tony Myers, owner/director of operations

Design
Charter House Innovations, Holland, Mich. – Chuck Reid, owner/president; Nicole Rice, design coordinator

Architect
LMHT, Durham, N.C.

General Contractors
Hudson Construction, Henegar, Ala.
Skanska USA Building Inc., Durham, N.C.

Outside Design Consultant
Derry Berrigan Lighting Design, Rogers, Ark.

Audio/Visual
Quality Automation Graphics, Ankeney, Iowa

Lighting
Cree Lighting, Durham, N.C.