A preserved cenote at Costco, Mérida, Mexico
© Costco wholesale

Sensible structures

Sustainability plays a role when we build new Costco locations

by SHERI FLIES

Our sustainability goals come into play any time we plan a new Costco warehouse, through the steps we take to ensure our buildings are built in an energy-efficient and environmentally responsible manner. This starts with design techniques that call for less building material (and recycled content where possible), energy- saving heating and refrigeration equipment and more.

Sometimes we have the opportunity to incorporate older buildings into new locations. We call this adaptive reuse and historical and natural preservation.

What’s old is new again

The most visually stunning example is in Stevenage, England. As we sought to open a new Costco in that city, our real estate team came across a low, sweeping building with unique arches, built in 1963 and designed in collaboration with the late Félix Candela. The structure once housed a distribution centre for a U.K. department store chain, and we were able to adapt the structure for our needs.

We took similar steps in existing buildings in Thorncliffe Park, Ontario, and in Coralville, Iowa. These buildings now have a new life as thriving Costco locations.

Preserving and respecting

As we build new warehouses, it’s sometimes necessary to take steps to preserve natural wonders or respect Indigenous lands. This was the case in Mérida, Yucatán (shown above).

It has a cenote, or natural sinkhole, filled with groundwater. We repaired and cleaned this unique landform, and now onlookers can see it from a bridge.

In Calgary in 2020, we opened a warehouse on the lands of the Tsuut’ina Nation—our first Costco on First Nation land in North America. Our construction team worked with the Tsuut’ina to use only native plant and tree species in the site’s landscaping, reflecting the heritage of the plains.