Circuit City warehouse rehab wins Gold Nugget Award
US-based Oltmans Construction Company, Unical Aviation and Withee Malcolm Architects LLP have won a Gold Nugget Award for Best Rehab of a Commercial/Industrial Project.
The award was given for the transformation of Unical Aviation Inc.’s Circuit City warehouse in the city of Industry . Designed by Withee Malcolm Architects, the project’s goal was to transform the former 470,000 square feet Circuit City warehouse into an inviting work environment, which echoes the spirit of Unical Aviation.
The renovation project removed the excess parking of the warehouse and converted the reclaimed space into a lush landscape. The arrival point of the warehouse was also appropriately scaled according to the requirement.
The existing space of the warehouse was retrofitted to accommodate a new 436,000 square feet warehouse area, 40,000 square feet of new executive office space and an additional 20,000 square feet of shops, laboratories and testing operations, a lunch room, an exercise and game room and a designated yoga/contemplation space.
To impart a new look to the exterior, the designers added several windows and created a distinctive glazed entry for a welcoming atmosphere to the facility. The entire site was re-landscaped, which added to the visual appeal of the place as well as made it ecologically sensible.
The interior is noted for a large, double-height atrium lobby, a koi pond and a saltwater fish tank featuring a custom free-form fiberglass mobiles hanging overhead. The second level of the facility has grey walls and black flooring which is contrasted by multi-coloured dividing walls done up in more than 30 different colours. The space is further punctuated with different forms, such as airplanes wings-design inspired beams, add vivacity to the workstations and add to the Unical Aviation’s eclectic art collection.
The Gold Nugget was awarded by the Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC). The Gold Nugget Awards honour outstanding achievement and innovation in architectural design and land use planning for residential and commercial projects in both US as well as other countries.
