A local artist acquired an unkempt historic “storefront” retail building in a thriving retail zone. While the building is non-descript, we focused our design on the façade to address the streetscape while integrating and complying with the historic standards of the neighborhood.

Given the prominence of the Western storefront on the building and street, we exaggerated its presence by introducing a rich mixture of wood planking and expressed the planar quality of the façade walls. The simple, bold form – with natural cedar and contemporary detailing – updated the building while giving a nod to the historical use of wood planks on the 20th century façade.

Once inside, the gallery showroom and artist’s workshop display “hints” of the building’s historical use as a laundromat.

Contractor: Integrity Building Contractors LLC