EcoLock Urban Storage
McLennan Design, in partnership with EcoLock, is designing a new typology of Net Positive storage facilities that seek to shift our conception of city living. With urban populations growing at unprecedented rates, the trend of “living lightly” has taken off. People are living in much smaller spaces than the traditional suburban homes in which they grew up, and they are shedding their unnecessary belongings. However, without a basement in every home, city dwellers are quickly running into temporary storage needs. EcoLock structures will provide storage solutions for the modern urban citizen who may have fluctuating needs over the course of several years. With the unexpected passing of a loved one or the sudden need to move, an urban storage solution can help to facilitate a difficult transition while retaining an urban lifestyle.
Program: Storage Facility + Coworking Space
Location: Kelowna, BC
Year: 2019
Client: EcoLock Storage
Design/Project Team: Jason F McLennan, Steven Christian, Allison Pericich, Brad Benke
The New Paradigm
Beyond the practical component of efficiently designing a storage facility, the challenge of the project is to incorporate other programmatic elements to elevate the space from pure pragmatism to something inspirational, educational, and engaging. A co-working space will occupy the ground floor and serve as a multi-purpose community space for special events. There will be educational opportunities for visitors and customers to learn about topics related to sustainable living and lifestyle simplicity.
Structural Innovation
With an emphasis on sustainable living, the structure itself will employ an array of strategies to enhance its surroundings. The building will incorporate leading edge energy efficiency in design and will leverage energy generation and conservation systems such as photovoltaics to offset electrical loads. In addition, the building’s interior partitions will be built with Just BioFiber Blocks – a patented technology that offers compressive strength and carbon sequestration. The first EcoLock facility will be in Kelowna, British Columbia and will pursue ILFI’s Net Zero Energy Building Certification.
