Nissan's New Green Digs

Nissan North America Inc. Formally bid farewell to one era and marked the beginning of a new one July 21 as it dedicated its new North American corporate headquarters near Nashville, TN.

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. CEO Carlos Ghosn shocked the automotive community in November 2005 when he announced the auto maker's U.S. subsidiary was relocating from its long time home in Gardena, CA, south of Los Angeles, to Middle Tennessee.

At the time, Ghosn said the move would reduce business costs and improve communications with the auto maker's manufacturing operations in nearby Smyrna and Decherd, TN.

Nissan North America's 1,300 employees were not thrilled about moving, and 58% chose to leave their jobs rather than relocate, including a number of high-level executives.

Two years ago at the groundbreaking ceremony for the $100 million, 450,000- sq.-ft. (41,805 sq.-m) building, Ghosn made it clear he had no regrets.

Standing in front of a crowd of employees and well-wishers on this steamy day in late July, Ghosn says the high-tech, environmentally friendly building represents Nissan's future and its mission to be a leader in green technology for vehicles.

From top to bottom, the facility is a model of employee and environmentally friendly architecture.

A key engineering and design element is an unusual sunshade system. Long horizontal rows of automated louvers on the exterior of the building change angles during the day to cut glare and heat from direct sunlight striking the building.

Indoors, sensors detect window light levels and automatically make the high-efficiency fluorescent lights brighter or dimmer.

Each overhead light is independently controlled by sensors to deliver exactly the right amount of exposure for each workstation, maximizing comfort and minimizing energy use.

The office building also incorporates an under-floor heating and cooling system, with vents on the floor rather than the ceiling.

Nissan says pumping cool air from below rather than above requires less energy. There is a vent for almost every workstation, so employees can adjust air flow to maximize comfort.

However, one female reporter did observe during a tour that the placement of vents could present a hazard to women wearing high heels.

The exterior landscape features carefully planned green spaces and includes a water-runoff system that collects rainwater from the entire site, directing it to one of two water-control systems for irrigation.

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