Award

October 2018

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OCTOBER 2018 | 57 MEC Queen Street RENDERING COURTESY SWEENY & CO. ARCHITECTS INC. MEC Queen Street by LAURIE JONES I n keeping with the iconic buildings of Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) stores, the MEC Queen Street West location mixes elegance with the latest in outdoor lifestyle gear in Toronto's Heritage Conservation District (HCD). In a joint effort between MEC and Parallax Investment Corporation, own- ers of the property, the three-storey structure has retail space on the first and second floors, administration offices and an independent 9,790-square-foot daycare on the third floor. "The new building includes 29,000 square feet for retail space, which is larger than the current King Street West location, which is being closed," says Andrew Sutherland, PR and trends lead for MEC. "In addition to accessibility issues, we found that the retail land- scape along King Street West has shifted away from retailers like MEC and is now dominated by accessory retail and high- density residential developments." Sutherland adds the Queen West area is a vibrant shopping destina- tion in Toronto, so MEC won't be just a destination retailer, it will also catch pedestrian traffic and the new location will be an opportunity to introduce the brand to a different audience. "We know that whenever we build a store, we are also building a community hub where we offer one-on-ones, work- shops, running meet-ups, and races. We also have community rooms that groups can book for free." In addition to outdoor clothing and equipment, MEC Queen Street will include in-store services such as bike fitting, custom spoke cutting, Wintersteiger waxing and edging machine, and custom boot moulding. The structure was always designed with retail in mind, but once MEC was committed to tenancy, the project was modified to cater to some of their specific needs, such as the intercon- nected floors for the feature stairs and office space on the third floor, explains Michael Monier, senior associate for Sweeny & Co. Architects Inc. "As part of the City of Toronto Green Standards, the building is equipped with a green roof and stormwater management system to reduce water discharge into the storm- water system. Part of the rainwater is used to flush toilets in the MEC spaces." Monier says for the design of the building – which is bigger than many on Queen Street – they worked to create a rhythm of small bays and ele- ments in the facade reflective of the neighbourhood's vernacular. "A lighter coloured exterior masonry was chosen to keep the building presence feeling lighter, taking cues from the colour of the terracotta on the nearby historic 299 Queen W [CHUM/BellMedia build- ing]." He adds accents of natural stone and zinc panels add variation and help articulate the facade. Using a variety of masonry and zinc adds an element that will age gracefully as they change over time and with the seasons. Stephane Bernier, director of design at Aedifica, says MEC stores have a branded layout and some are reflec- tive of the facility the stores are in. "In the case of the Queen West store, the strategy behind merchandising and customer service is common in all the latest MEC stores. What's unique in this case is that it is really an urban street location, where for the first time MEC is on a shopping street ver- sus a destination location. This makes a difference as to what products are put on the ground floor for window shopping and on the second floor for secondary in-store shopping. The idea is to capture new clients that are not necessarily going in to buy gear but are interested in looking at active lifestyle options and the product categories that go with it." Bernier says one of the things they have been implementing in the lat- est generations of MEC stores is using cross laminated timbers (CLT), which are normally used as a structural component, but in the case of the new MEC store concepts it is used to cre- ate freestanding walls that articulate the space. "As these walls are a solid structural component, there is no restriction for weight and quantity of merchandise for displays. These walls can also be repurposed and moved." One of the most prominent fea- tures of the MEC Queen Street store is the grand staircase leading to the second floor. "It has an exposed steel finish with stainless steel handrails, ceramic tiles on the treads, and a glass balustrade that goes from the ground level to the second level," says Chuck Katzman, senior project manager, Broccolini Construction Inc. "We have also ordered customized millwork pro- duced in B.C. that will be installed in the main retail area." One of the nice things about this project is it preserves parking that pre- viously existed on that site, which is quite important to the area, says Corin Flood, development manager for MEC. "With the custom design of the proj- ect, MEC did require the landlord meet some higher performance standards for the envelope and HVAC systems." Flood adds the daycare was also an important component to this building. "It's not often that developers are will- ing to create space for daycare in an urban context." The daycare area of the building will be operated by Kids & Co. and will have a private entrance. As with any retail operation, light- ing plays a big part in creating a great shopping experience. "We used full LED lighting fixtures," says Mathieu Leclerc, associate, Pageau Morel and Associates Inc. "We kept the fluores- cent light for the back of the house and in the retail space we did two layers of lighting. We decided that there is gen- eral lighting that provides enough for circulation and then we had another layer that is specific to the racking and the fixtures." The mechanical designs also added efficient systems into the project. "On the third floor perimeter we used radi- ant ceiling panels and in the retail areas for the first and second floor we used radiant floor," says Daniel Picard, project manager, Pageau Morel and Associates Inc. "This will provide better comfort. We also used a high level of insulation for the walls and the roof. All of the MEC stores are usually more insulated than standard retail locations. This is to pro- vide lower energy consumption." A LOCATION 302 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario OWNER/DEVELOPER Parallax Investment Corporation ARCHITECT Sweeny & Co. Architects Inc. RETAIL DESIGN ARCHITECT Aedifica CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Broccolini Construction Inc. MECHANICAL/ ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Pageau Morel and Associates Inc. TOTAL SIZE 29,524 square feet (total retail area) 55,649 square feet (total structure area) TOTAL COST Undisclosed 9:04 AM 3:01 PM

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