Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) is Canada’s largest consumer co-operative with over 5 million members across the country. Their core values are to connect people with the outdoors in the most conscious & respectful way possible, by raising awareness on sustainable solutions that minimizes each individual impact on nature while enjoying it. The same core values were reflected in each architectural decision when the recent 62,000 SqFt flagship store in Vancouver, Canada was built. Inspired by the local mountains and natural beauty, the goal was to capture the outdoor spirit within the building’s design and adopt a distinctive contemporary “west coast” aesthetic.
The building was granted a LEED Gold certification, contributing to Vancouver’s greenest city action plan at the time. The certification required the store to incorporate efficient heating and cooling systems, using one-third less energy than the standards set out by the national energy code for buildings. It also includes an extensive green roof that collects rainwater, reducing by 80% the overall water consumption of the building. MTC Solutions fasteners participated as well in the certification thanks to the percentage of post-consumer recycled steel used to manufacture them, granting up to 2 points [MRc 4.1 & 4.2] in LEED BD+C 2.0 certification.
The exposed wood structures of the three-story building visibly brings together its technical advancement and closeness to nature. The core of the building matches MEC’s values as it serves as a natural carbon storage with the use of modern Mass Timber materials such as, Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) panels, Glulam beams & columns. Looking beyond the sustainability commitment, the chosen Post & Beam framing system allowed for a fast installation of prefabricated structural components. Designers and architects have succeeded in finding an honest, transparent architectural solution for the high ecological standards MEC values, communicating outdoor spirit internally and externally in form and function.
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