MEC Head Office

Mountain Equipment Co-op has always strived to do business a little differently. Owned by its customers, this earth-conscious Canadian outdoor gear and clothing brand began planning for a new head office in 2008, when it became clear it would soon outgrow its existing facilities.

The client’s desire was to target LEED Platinum certification and utilize wood as widely as possible throughout the structure, for its carbon-sequestering capabilities and its visual appeal.

To deliver an economical and flexible structural solution, Fast + Epp devised a glulam post-and-beam system for the primary four-storey structure, with floors fabricated from solid 2×8’s on edge, nailed together in pre-assembled panels, then craned in to site and covered with a plywood layer but exposed to view from below. Lateral restraint is provided by steel buckling-restrained braced frames – more ductile than conventional steel-braced frames.

This nail-lamination or “mill decking” (as it was called 150 years ago), was a technology used in many of the West Coast’s early industrial and commercial buildings. This project provides a simultaneous glimpse into the past and the future of timber construction – economical and highly replicable. The facility is estimated to be 70% more energy efficient than a traditional structure of the same size.