Whole Foods Cold Storage

Project Summary

A former canning manufacturing plant located on a 9.8-acre ‘brownfield’ site was demolished to make room for a new 128,000 square foot Green Globe certified food distribution facility featuring fruit ripening rooms, wet room, dry and frozen racking systems, equipment utility space, a roof-mounted photovoltaic system that provides hot water to two 75-gallon storage tanks, high-speed insulated doors and underfloor heating systems. A new three-truck depressed loading dock features seismic isolators and vertically stored levelers to minimize openings or potential leaks, as well as a staging area for compost compactors, bailers and forklifts. The remaining on-site 45,000 square foot structure was retrofitted to accommodate recycling and composting of waste collected from the company’s 56 stores. This award-winning facility processes 1.2 million cases of product per month and includes the largest recycling center in the company. It has been recognized as the best industrial project in the Los Angeles County area for its conservation efforts throughout the construction process. Materials were salvaged during demolition for restoration and use on future building projects. Existing stone was crushed and re-used as structural fill. Nearly all of the structural steel for the new building is recycled and a sustainable white TPO roofing system was installed to reduce heat-island effects. Breakroom furnishings were made from recycled plastic and soda bottles. No Freon or Freon-based refrigerants are used in either the office or the warehouse. Instead, an energy-efficient cooling system utilizes anhydrous ammonia industrial refrigeration. Drainage throughout the property as been routed through conventional storm drain piping and large percolation basins, enabling all rain water to remain onsite.