Environmental and Sustainability Adaptations at Our Corporate HQ Campus
In July 2019, KAR completed the relocation of our corporate headquarters into a new, custom-designed campus in Carmel, Indiana. KAR’s $80 million investment in this state-of-the-art building and campus reflects our entrepreneurial spirit, inspires our employees and fosters a culture of creativity and innovation. The modern, environmentally responsible building also helps our company, the city and the state attract and retain some of North America’s best and brightest talent to the Indianapolis area—an emerging tech hub of the Midwest.
The City of Carmel presented the 2020 Commercial Beautification Award for Excellence in Urban Forestry to KAR Global in recognition of the environment- and sustainability-focused features built into the design of our 250,000 square-foot HQ building and 13-acre campus. We are especially proud of this award, as it reflects not only our focus on creating a best-in-class workplace for our employees, but also our commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen and community partner.
We were mindful of the potential influence we could have from the beginning of the planning process. Some of the sustainability goals that guided the creation of the site plan included:
- Incorporate the campus into its surroundings while establishing borders: Use naturalized plantings where the site meets right-of-way or neighboring properties to create a threshold, reinforcing the sense of entry into the site while decreasing formality. Use the buildings to shelter the interior courtyard space from the adjacent roadways.
- Create opportunities for employees to enjoy nature: We created a half-mile walking path, complete with sitting areas, around the campus.
- Honor seasonality by increasing plant diversity: We preserved 82 trees when developing the site, planted 320 new trees from over 30 species, and added more than 2,500 shrubs/plantings from over 20 species.
- Focus on native plants and wildlife: Native plants were maximized in the plan, and low maintenance planting regimes encourage native wildlife.
- Integrate plant, soil and water systems: Interlocking systems are less intensive and encourage better plant growth, lower maintenance, and more sustainability. The emphasis on leveraging soils, irrigation and aquatic habitats results in deeper root systems with less irrigation needed and more resilient plant communities.
- Recycle rainwater: The campus features surface filtration strips that clean rainwater, which is then stored beneath the parking lot. Native planted detention basins and ponds add additional storage and cleanse the water before it rejoins the water shed. The campus irrigation system is fed from the pond; city water is not needed, thereby reducing the load on the water system and conserving water.
- Dedicated bicycle parking: The campus features bicycle parking and repair stations, complete with tools and other equipment, in our covered garage for personal bikes. Employees are encouraged to leverage alternative transportation options like biking to work to reduce their carbon footprint.
These campus-design features promote sustainable choices, reduce climate impact and improve the environment—goals that KAR Global is proud to support as a responsible steward of the environment and our natural resources.
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For more information about KAR Global’s environmental and sustainability initiatives, as well as our corporate giving and community involvement, click here.