Mountain Equipment Co-op – or MEC – as the company has effectively rebranded itself, is an environmental pioneer in all it does as an outdoor adventure brand. Thus, when it came time to expand the building footprint of its existing shipping and receiving headquarters, the design team’s adherence to strict green building techniques was valued as highly as their attention to operational efficiency or long-term maintenance costs.

Project Essentials

  • LocationSurrey, BC
  • ClientMountain Equipment Co-op
  • ArchitectBunting Coady Architects
  • Size110,000 ft² (10,219 m²)
  • BudgetC$18 million

The company’s goal? To prove good commercial design doesn’t have to be costly, or come at the expense of the environment.

For Fast + Epp, the project mandate included renovations and seismic upgrades to the existing facility, along with the design and new construction of additional warehouse space.

The structure for the new building called for conventional steel joist, beam, and column framing; a new mezzanine floor for the existing building seismically strengthened the existing warehouse structure.