Weiler Orthodontics is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Dr. Weiler inherited an existing space and aesthetic from his predecessor and had a thriving business. His business had grown to a point that he wanted to make the space match his vision for client care. He approached our firm along with Herr & Co. with the challenge. Our goal was to create a space that was comfortable for his patients, typically teenagers, while infusing his personality into the design. The other challenge was to achieve a condensed construction schedule to minimize the impacts on Dr. Weiler’s client services. Our firm pulled together a design through renderings, materials pallets, and construction drawings to allow Dr. Weiler to see his vision and for Herr & Co. to start planning for construction. Our design also addressed comfort issues in the space which we solved through a new insulation strategy and HVAC system designed by Suter Engineering. This comprehensive remodel shows how to create a comfortable and sophisticated space that increases client satisfaction while reinforcing your brand. The space is fresh, clean, and comfortable bringing smiles to our client and his clients!
With 108,000 sf under roof, this logistical warehouse facility has an award-winning design. The Tilt-up Association recognized the project in their 2014 Tilt-Up Achievement Awards. Featuring bold colors, and fin walls the structure blends industrial durability with innovative aesthetics to create a striking building. The facility has 16 dock bays and potential for up to 8 tenant upfit spaces. The flexibility of design is required as upfit is a second phase scope of work. Tilt-up concrete building systems create a durable long-lasting solution and increases the speed of delivery while maximizing the investment of the client. Working with Nielsen Builders in a design-build capacity delivers industrial clients a one-stop contact to achieve their development priorities.
PROJECT LOCATION: Charlottesville, Virginia CONTRACTOR: Coleman Adams PHOTOGRAPHER: Barry Rickert STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Moler and Associates CIVIL ENGINEER: Dominion Development Resources, LLC ELECTRICAL & PLUMBING ENGINEER: Master Engineers and Designers, Inc.
Luxor, a 24,000 sf multi-tenant office building located on Pantops Mountain, is raising the bar in Charlottesville for innovative office space. Featuring a vegetated roof, high performance insulation and heating / cooling system, and low VOC interior finishes, Luxor is not only energy efficient, it is healthy. The design does not stop with the building’s walls, it also features multiple exterior gathering spaces from the courtyard between the two building to the garden space that creates a buffer to the street. Using native plantings, strategically placed retaining walls, and local vernacular, this building project has defined a compelling entrance into the city. The tenants in Luxor include a yogurt shop, phone retailer, architectural office, developer headquarters, massage studio, hair salon, bank, and doctor’s office. The diversity of the tenants is balanced by the flexible signage system that keeps a consistent aesthetic through the project and ties the parts into a holistic aesthetic solution.
We love working with repeat clients as we already have learned some of their language and communication styles. It is also always fun to learn a new project type and while we have done barns in the past, we had never done a horse barn so this was a fun learning opportunity. We started with an existing eight-stall rudimentary barn and teamed with Robb Construction to create a state-of-the-art twelve-stall barn that includes spacious common areas and a one-bedroom apartment. The vision driving the project was to have a boutique facility readily able to accommodate both our client’s horses and their client’s horses. Lucas Equine built our custom 12 x 12’ stall fronts and removable partitions, each with its own commercial-grade fan, lights, a generous ceiling height, and a Dutch door facing outside. Six of the stalls feature access to 12 x 24’ sand paddocks. All construction and design decisions were made with safety and comfort in mind for the horses. This project is a great example of collaboration. Our role in the project as architect was to make sure the structure works and the room sizes met the criteria we were provided. There were other experts that knew the program better than us and we were counting on them to teach and lead us through the design process to make sure we met the goals of the project. The results are incredible and the barn and apartment as the state-of-the-art barn that the client described to me in the first visit to the site.
The Eastern Mennonite School (EMS) renovation project had a straightforward goal, convert an existing three-story office building into an Elementary school. The added challenge with any of our non-profit clients is using their budget as efficiently as possible and creating opportunities through architecture to highlight their culture. Therefore, this project focuses on sustainability / creation care, an important element of the culture of the school. Using our understanding of building science, we were able to save an existing building, incorporate environmentally sensitive design strategies, as well as highlight those elements for the students in the building. The design of the EMS facility maximizes daylight into all classrooms, provides multiple points of exterior access to allow for environmental teaching opportunities, and has flexible room sizes for diversity of class settings. The existing building footprint provides 9 classrooms, a teaching kitchen, teacher workroom, and restroom facilities. The additions to the existing footprint house circulation towers, the administrative wing and a phase II of the project which will allow for large scale gatherings. Working together with EMS teachers, administration, and students, the design evolved into a space that will enhance learning opportunities as well as highlight building systems. Viewing windows allow for students to explore “how a building works.” This experiential learning component marries sustainability and building science with traditional math, science, and social studies. Creating unique opportunities using architectural elements is a key component of our design strategies for our clients.
