Year: 2003
Client: Mountain Equipment Co-op in collaboration with Duchesnes & Fish and Vouli
The use of recycled materials was one of the guiding landscaping principles for the Mountain Equipment Co-op site. Natural rocks were installed as benches near the main entrance. They came from local sources to reduce pollution and transportation costs.
Planting was an important element of the site’s design, not only on the ground, but also on a portion of the roof, where a rooftop garden was built for the staff. In addition to beautifying the site, planting played an important role in climate protection. During the summer months, deciduous trees protect the building and its users from the heat of the sun, but allow the sun’s rays to penetrate and warm up the building come winter. Native, drought resistant plants were used throughout the site because of their minimum maintenance and water requirements. In addition, an onsite water management system was built to collect rainwater used to water plants in times of drought.
