We talk a lot about sustainability over on our blog and how reuse is really the secret weapon we all have against the environmental damage it seems our modern way of life keeps creating. But when we look to actual examples of how our company, and our customer’s companies are using reuse in their processes, the power of those decisions comes into sharp focus.

That’s the way it is with Huntington Bank’s Gateway Center in central Ohio. Not only was reuse a defining approach for the center, but every aspect of the application is just brilliant. I was first introduced to this amazing facility last year at a collection event—which also adds another layer to the value this space brings to the community.

Here’s three ways we see Huntington rocking the reuse:

Reuse use #1 – Architecture and Location

The best example of Huntington bringing reuse into the making of this facility was in the location itself. Instead of choosing an empty plot out in the country, Huntington put their customer-service center in the heart of the Northside of Columbus. And beyond that, they retrofitted the existing grocery box-store that previously occupied the spot instead of demolishing and rebuilding from scratch.

Reuse use #2 – Skylights and Daylighting

To make the best use of the old store, a large array of skylights was installed in the entryway along with additional skylights throughout the rest of the space. Now, daylighting might not seem like reuse, but the alternative would be to block out the sunlight and produce new light electronically. So, pulling daylight into a space is technically reusing the light from the sun.

Reuse use #3 – Solar Panels and Solar Trees

Renewable energy isn’t a traditional application of reuse, but in the context of sustainability, it makes sense. Sunlight would otherwise go to waste and some fossil-fuel method would have to supplement the power needed for the facility. And, since sunlight falls without prejudice or design, our collection and application of it really makes it reuse.

This may be seen as a stretch to call it reuse, but we’re really talking about extending the value of something beyond what is traditionally done. And for millennia, we’ve been using sunlight in a very limited—and singular—way, so making power with it is extending that light to even greater use.

Huntington’s rooftop solar array powers the building, but it doesn’t really get anyone talking about being sustainable—a chance to grow this thinking in the community. To get people talking about sustainability, two impressive Solar trees were installed in the parking lot—the first Spotlight trees in Ohio, as a matter of fact—to excite visitors and passersby about choosing sustainability.

The Huntington also received a Donor of the Year award from Sage this past July in relation to the significant way they’ve been reusing their retired IT assets to better the local community. While not directly related to the Columbus Gateway, these decisions across the company all make a fine example of how much we see the amazing sustainable work this company is doing. Huntington is a true partner with Sage in sustainability and community investment, and we look forward to what else they’ll be doing for the future.

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