"Think Global, Act Local" has been a popular mantra for a number of years. Recently, one of the planet's most recognizable brands has begun to incorporate this socially-aware philosophy into the design of new stores.

As recently as the mid 2000s, Starbucks decentralized their design houses. Previously located exclusively in the Pacific Northwest - currently, Starbucks maintains 18 in-house design shops across the world embracing the idea that to design a locally flavored store, you actually need to be local. The result of this change in philosophy can be seen in their LEED certified Tukwila, WA store - a 450 square foot outlet constructed from "retired" shipping containers. Read more at Wired magazine or Starbucks