Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Fall 2017 - 13

EXCELLENCE IN INTEGRATIVE,
HOLISTIC DESIGN

DESIGN AWARD CATEGORY
Special Recognition
PROJECT
Mountain Equipment Coop Head Office

T

he MEC Corporate Headquarters is a four-story heavy timber building located
on a 101,000 sq.ft. former industrial site and it represents a highly visible example
of a high performance building and landscape: passive energy, water management,
and both interior and exterior amenity for occupants. The landscape and architectural
design create a head office that functions as an extension of one of MEC's core values
- "sustainability by design".

LOCATION
Vancouver, British Columbia
AWARD WINNER
Connect Landscape Architecture
TEAM MEMBERS

DESIGN OBJECTIVES INCLUDE:

Architect
Greg Piccini, Proscenium Architecture
& Interiors Inc

1. Celebration of Rain Water
Located on the original China Creek, the project "daylights" and passively treats
stormwater. The 'blue roof' captures rainwater for irrigation and non-potable
building use. Stormwater is filtered and managed through a series of rain gardens
and native water wise plantings. A vertical wall displays rain water falling from the
roof to an at grade rain water feature.

Hugh Cochlin, Proscenium Architecture
& Interiors Inc
Civil Engineer
Peter Tapp, Kerr Wood Liedal

2. Activating the Outdoors
The site is accessible - located adjacent to a rapid transit station and bike route. A
large intensive green roof with panoramic views of the north shore offers leisure
space, vegetable planters, and fruit trees for employees and clients. An entry plaza
encourages social interaction with custom seating and bicycle storage.

Client/Owner
Sandy Treagus, Mountain
Equipment Co-op
Commissioning Agent
Stantec

Overall, the landscape supports MEC's vision of creating a forward-thinking workplace that fosters staff health. The plan provides approximately 8,565 sq.ft of intensive/extensive green roof space (27.5% of the 31,000 sq.ft. building footprint).

Electrical/Mechanical Engineers
Roland Charneux, Pageau Morel
and Associates

Judges praised the project's integration of green roof technology into broader systems
such as water management and highlighting a great step in local community design
leadership in the meadow roof and integration of small trees.

Energy Consultant
FVB Energy Inc
Environmental Consultant
Golder Associates, Ltd

LEGEND

General Contractor
Ventana Construction Corporation
Green Building Consultant
Corin Flood, Green Building
Consulting & Design

Agriculture Planters

2

Mounded Planting

3

Outdoor Dining

4

Intensive Green Roof

5

Blue Roof

6

Rain Garden

7

Treatment Pond

8

Roof Rain Water Feature

9

Entry Plaza

7

2
1

Green Roof Landscape Installation
North by Northwest

1

3

"This project includes some wonderful collaborative and social spaces and has been tailored
to its inhabitants, offering up environmental
features as a way to enhance their day-to-day
working life. The green roof is not there just to
gain a credit, but is a habitable program space
for the enjoyment of employees"
- SAB Magazine

8

9
5

Landscape Architect
Ken Larsson, Connect
Landscape Architecture, Inc
LEED Consultant
Jason Packer, Recollective

1

6
4

0

10

15

20

Site Plan

"The design completely plays into MEC's idea
that you can have a place with a sense of
environment, where you can connect with the
context around you."
- Ron Clay, Proscenium

Membrane Supplier
Homan Roofing Ltd
Roofing Contractor
Metro Roofing
Structural Engineer
Tanya Luthi,
Fast + Epp Structural Engineers
LIVINGARCHITECTUREMONITOR.COM

All images courtesy of Connect Landscape Architecture

LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR / FALL 2017 / 13
http://www.LIVINGARCHITECTUREMONITOR.COM
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Fall 2017
