Hy-Vee

Additional Info

Award Winner : Falcon Structures

Architectural Excellence : When the global pandemic altered grocery shopping for shoppers nationwide, Hy-Vee – a favorite Midwest grocery store chain – took immediate action to improve the curbside pickup experience. Falcon began production in a matter of days thanks to the use of preexisting floor plans that only required minimal customizations. The speed to production helped meet Hy-Vee’s urgent demand and minimize the potential for lost revenue. Delivered in nine weeks, two 40-foot shipping containers combined into a single structure sit in the parking lot of fifty store locations, helping Hy-Vee adapt to pandemic-related challenges. Marked with branded signage, shoppers are invited to drive their cars up to the container buildings to pick up their prepared order, helping minimize contact and improve pickup efficiency. Personnel doors and operable cargo doors help employees organize orders in a climate-controlled holding space. In the future, Hy-Vee can relocate the units as needed.

Cost Energy Effectiveness : Hy-Vee experienced substantial cost-effectiveness thanks to the use of modular construction and modified shipping containers. Falcon modified, shipped, and Hy-Vee setup up each of the fifty units in two months – quickly solving for the potential loss of revenue brought by the pandemic. The setup for each double-wide container structure took a single day. Additionally, the site setup was so uniquely simple that Hy-Vee didn’t need to hire welders to combine the units, which saved on labor costs. Now that the container structures are in use, Hy-Vee has seen improved curbside pickup efficiency and decreased parking lot traffic buildup. More customers can visit Hy-Vee stores while having a more enjoyable experience without fearing contact with COVID-19. The improved flow of customers with more positive, comfortable experiences not only saves Hy-Vee money but helps keep the company generating more revenue in uncertain times.

Green Building Description : N/A

Occupied Date : 8/30/2020

Owner Firm Name : Hy-Vee

Production Start Date : 6/29/2020

Project Location City : West Des Moines

Project Location State Name : IA

Technical Innovation : Falcon Structures sent completed modules ready to be assembled on site and used immediately. The use of upcycled shipping containers and minimized resource waste – thanks to a controlled offsite manufacturing facility – allowed for more eco-friendly project than portable storage alternatives. While many organizations use shipping containers as storage behind the scenes, no grocery store chain had yet placed containers at center stage, welcoming customers with a branded, professional, and robust looking first impression. Not only did combining two modified shipping containers make the most of limited parking lot space, but each unit can be detached to easily fit on the bed of a semi-trailer truck for relocation in the future. And finally, keeping the cargo doors operable became a vital solution to preparing customer orders as efficiently as possible.

Total Square Feet : 32000