Giattina Aycock Architecture Studio Interiors Projects
OFFICES for GOLDEN CONSTRUCTION
When Golden & Associates Construction, LLC., outgrew their historically renovated office space on the edge of Downtown Birmingham, they knew they wanted to remain in their historic neighborhood, and to maintain the rustic architectural character to which they had grown accustomed. Across the street, they found their perfect match in a two-story structure originally built in 1926 as a garage and meter repair shop where Birmingham Waterworks crews repaired and re-built equipment until Golden’s purchase in 2005.
Giattina Aycock Architecture Studio, Inc., designed the office conversion to preserve and restore the building’s inherent assets. Equipment ramps were removed, existing concrete floors were ground and polished, stairs were removed and re-built, and existing steel-framed windows and gabled skylights were re-glazed with low-e glass to limit glare and improve energy efficiency. Existing garage door openings were fitted with a copper awning over new windows and an entry door, designed to mimic the steel windows above.
Custom open-office workstations are designed with low partitions to celebrate the high-volume space, maximizing views and light infiltration. Existing brick is exposed within, adding interest, texture, and a reminder of the building’s history. To offset expenses and add warmth to the industrial space, surplus cypress siding from the construction of Golden’s own home was incorporated in the stair rail and interior accents.
Outside, an equipment lot was converted to a grassy lawn for staff gatherings. A once-solid wall was punctured with new windows to overlook the lawn and to access it directly from the ground floor, which is slated to house the third phase of offices in Golden’s growth plan.
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