Award

M A R C H 2 0 2 3 | 85 NationWide Self Storage and Express Auto Wash R EN D ER I N G CO U RT E S Y B FA S T U D I O A RC H I T EC T S NATIONWIDE SELF STORAGE AND EXPRESS AUTO WASH by NATALIE BRUCKNER N ationWide Self Storage and Express Auto Wash has raised the bar in so many ways. From its environmentally-friendly EDT Express Auto Wash tunnel, cutting- edge security system and unwavering commitment to sustainability, to its unparalleled architectural design – the facility is a noteworthy addi- tion to the industrial and commercial neighbourhood located at the bound- ary of Vancouver and Burnaby. The five-storey carbon-neutral self- storage building represents a new level of excellence in its field. When Shane Doyle and Hugh Cartwright (CEO and director at NationWide and chairman and director of NationWide Self Storage, respectively) heard about a plot of land in a prime, highly visible location that was potentially up for sale, they acted swiftly. Their foresight and prompt- ness proved to be a wise decision. "A friend of Hugh's, a commer- cial realtor, brought the idea of the site to my partner Hugh and I as a possible location. We looked at the site and considered the cost of the land and didn't think the econom- ics for just self-storage would work. Then we started exploring the idea of incorporating a carwash on the main floor and approached our archi- tect [BFA Studio Architects] and some engineers with the idea, and it seemed viable," explains Doyle. As one of the first buildings of its kind in Canada to incorporate a self-storage and car wash under one roof, the concept proved somewhat challenging, but Helen Besharat, principal at BFA, was able to come up with a workable solution that fit with NationWide's vision. "Once we knew it was feasible, we approached the City with the idea, explaining that it would be carbon neutral and contain an eco-friendly carwash with rainwater capture. As soon as the City agreed, we went full speed ahead," explains Doyle. The success of the project would require a highly skilled team, knowledgeable in the nuances of a self-storage and car wash facility and capable of achieving such high sus- tainability goals – that team would consist of NationWide, BFA, and Maple Reinders Constructors Ltd. The site itself presented a few challenges, but nothing that was insurmountable by Maple Reinders, who has worked with NationWide pre- viously and has experience with both self-storage units and car washes. "The location of the project required us to do a substantial amount of ground improvements, with lots of piling and soil anchor work at the front end," says Brad Palmer, proj- ect manager a Maple Reinders. "We had no real laydown so the struc- tural steel that came out of Vernon would do just-in-time deliveries." For the design of the building, Besharat (who worked alongside her colleagues David Leung, Ashique Zaman, and Jamie Richardson on the project), wanted to ensure it would be elegant while contributing to the neighbourhood. "Buildings of this nature often have a negative repu- tation for being big boxes, void of natural light. We wanted to intro- duce light wherever we could and so the building features large areas of glazing that create a visual connec- tion from the exterior to the process of the car wash and the storage build- ing above," explains Besharat. The building's bold exterior design features clean lines with a mix of glazed curtain wall and grey and blue metal cladding, and Besharat adds that knock out panels were inte- grated into the building, enabling it to evolve in the future by increas- ing the amount of natural light that penetrates into the interior. "Thanks to the efforts of the struc- tural engineer, the challenging combination of uniform/regimented industrial use at the upper levels, and a bespoke designed lower level was handled well with transfer suspended concrete slab, made trickier still by the poor soils condition," adds Besharat. Inside, the ground floor design presented another challenge as it required car line up at the carwash tunnel entry while enabling efficient parking and loading for the covered self-storage. "We included a transpar- ent customer lounge and elevator core to upper-level storage lockers to create interest. Both informative and decora- tive lighting were provided to enrich the interior space," explains Besharat. In the car wash area, there is exposed concrete with directional bands of LED strips inserted in con- crete reveals as well as playful ceiling acoustic panels. In the customer ser- vice lounge area, there is a sculptural wooden dropped ceiling that pro- vides a further aesthetic appeal. The building's striking design is only surpassed by its performance. "It's the first carbon neutral self-stor- age that we've done, and one that has achieved carbon neutral status," explains Doyle. To achieve this, not only was a high-performance enve- lope used and an energy efficient engineering systems installed that utilizes the low carbon footprint of hydro power, but PV panels have been placed on the roof that power most of the self-storage portion. In addi- tion, the eco-friendly carwash has a self-contained rainwater capture sys- tem. "All water used goes through a rigorous filtering system housed underneath the car wash. Every three or four weeks we take any remain- ing pollutants off-site to government regulated recycling facilities for proper disposal," explains Doyle. When it comes to technology, the building is cutting edge with a state- of-the-art keyless access throughout the building and also every stor- age locker. The keyless access on each locker provides motion sensor alerts and shareable access via an app on each tenant's phone. The building also prides itself on enhanced secu- rity systems and more than 100 CCT V security cameras throughout the facility. "It's really the most secure facility you can have," says Doyle. Despite being faced with a num- ber of unknowns along the way, including COVID, wildfires in the province, and flooding that impacted delivery, Palmer says collabora- tion and a great team helped bring the project through to fruition. Doyle concludes by saying: "The building, which is located in a A A A location in one of the fast- est growing municipalities in North America, really met all our objec- tives. It is a flagship carbon neutral building and just beautiful." It's fair to say that NationWide Self Storage and Express Auto Wash represents a new era in self-storage facilities, offering a unique and sus- tainable solution to the community. A LOCATION 3680 East 4th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. OWNER /DEVELOPER NationWide Self Storage & Express Auto Wash ARCHITECT BFA Studio Architects GENER AL CONTR ACTOR Maple Reinders Constructors Ltd. STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT Ennova Structural Engineers MECHANICAL /HVAC CONSULTANT Alberto Bicol Consulting ELECTRICAL /PLUMBING CONSULTANT BES Canada L ANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Prospect & Refuge LA TOTAL SIZE 5,500 square feet (car wash) 90,000 square feet (self-storage building) TOTAL COST $25 million

• Cover