With the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day right around the corner, Greenwise Solutions, a San Diego-based source for residential and commercial building auditing, green consulting, design, construction and maintenance, is doing its part to preserve the planet. As the only performance contractor in Southern California, Greenwise has several projects in the works, including Gelati Amo Italia, an authentic Italian gelato shop under construction at 1001 Garnet Ave., on the corner of Cass Street. It is slated for a June opening. The space was originally a coffee house and after it closed, Which Wich sandwich shop secured part of the space and left 1,000-square-feet for another business. Greenwise co-founder and CEO Soheil Nakhshab provided all the design services, including architectural, engineering and green features in order to achieve LEED certification (independent, third-party verification that a building project is environmentally-responsible, profitable and a healthy place to live and work, according to the U.S. Green Building Council). Nakhshab is doing the construction as well. He used no volatile materials — toxic smelling paints, adhesives and furniture. “So, when you come in you’re going to smell gelato, you’re not going to smell this stuff,” said Nakhshab, adding that the components are recycled and rapidly renewable. There’s going to be a high efficiency air-conditioning system, linoleum flooring by Armstrong, low-flow water fixtures, a dual flush toilet and LED lighting. Day lighting controls will automatically dim in response to the amount of natural daylight streaming into the space. Owner Clint Legnani knew it was advantageous to have a more efficient spot, Nakhshab said, not only to help offset expenses but also as the first LEED-certified retail space in San Diego. Legnani will offer 40 different flavors of gelato and a few types of the Italian ice cream. He is going to introduce the gelato sandwich; a fresh croissant cut in half with gelato in the middle. Nakhshab said he thinks people are a little earthier in the beach towns and he thinks they’ll appreciate the new arrival. “We want to push this movement of energy-efficient green building in our city; it deserves it … So many people are so wasteful here; let’s try to make a difference,” he said. In addition, Greenwise Solutions was chosen to be on the panel of the Retrofit Summit which takes place tomorrow, April 16, at the California Center for Sustainable Energy.
