Intro
La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries
The local La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries representative contacted Phillips|Sekanick Architects to design a new retail facility featuring the latest corporate prototype design. Working through a number of site constraints, including a vertical elevation change of over 40 feet, Phillips|Sekanick Architects was able to collaborate with the owner, contractor, and local jurisdiction authorities to provide a design that satisfied all parties.
Details
La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries
Challenge
Many of the challenges of this project concerned site design. Some of these challenges were site topography, vehicular access, storm water retention, landscaping requirements, and parking configuration. The client was seeking direct vehicular access from the main commercial thoroughfare adjacent to the site, but heavy traffic flow in this area made left-turns dangerous. Setting the building pad elevation was a critical factor in establishing a road frontage presence, maintaining vehicular access to the primary thoroughfare, and allowing parking in front of the building with the 40-plus feet of fall across the site.
Solution
The site design challenges were effectively resolved through close communications with local zoning and building departments. To satisfy safety concerns with cars accessing the site a “right-in, right-out” access drive was used to the main thoroughfare. A secondary access drive was added to a secondary road located beyond the adjacent lot. An underground storm water detention system was utilized to mitigate water run-off concerns. Through discussions with the local officials we arrived at a landscaping plan that allowed the primary parking lot to maintain its 23-car count and provided the softening beauty of thoughtfully-designed a landscaping layout. The change in elevation was mitigated through the introduction of a new retaining wall at the rear of the project.