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Home My WebLink AboutARB201900047 Plan - Other (not approved) 2019-07-30FLOW AUTOMOTIVE MAZDA/ VOLKSWAGEN OF CHARLOTTESVILLE SHOWROOM & SERVICE CENTER ARB Submittal June 24, 2019 This submission includes 2 new automotive dealerships; which are separate entities but situated on adjacent properties at Pantops Corner of Route 20 & 250. The new Mazda Dealership will be located in the same location as the existing Mazda (1289 Stony Point Rd.); replacing the 1970's CMU block structure to be demolished. In its place, the new Mazda will provide all the amenities of a full -service dealership: an up-to-date showroom with wait- ing areas and offices, a vehicular drop off station as well as a new Service Bay Garage. While the new Mazda complex occupies a similar footprint as the old, it will provide a much -improved plan for both internal daily business operations as well as on the exterior increasing the efficiency of the site and improving its circulation. Just as important and related to the E.C. review, the new Showroom/Service Center will provide a much -need- ed upgrade from the existing - a somewhat dilapidated structure on an unimproved site. We see this project as an opportunity to enhance the character of the corner by improving the Site Plan with better organization and improved county recommended landscaping. And from an architec- tural standpoint, the project replaces the existing with a new building that addresses the corner and is more suitable to its prominent location. The current Mazda design standard is a contemporary style. Subdued with a simple combination of light and dark metal paneling, the exterior fapade shows enough variety to create and maintain interest but not overly flamboyant so as to overwhelm the rest of the character on the corner or go against precedent on the 250 corridor. Large storefront windows are added to the fapade which rounds out the material palette and provides a healthy amount of daylighting for the interior. Mazda's main design feature - referred to as 'the jewel box' - is a 2 story room enclosed in a glass frame that encourages one's gaze on the outside into the interior environment. This 'jewel box' seems an appropriate answer for addressing the Pantops Corner at this difficult site. Its prominent but well proportioned oversized glass wall is oriented toward the corner and enhances the impor- tance of its location. Further, the interior wall of the jewel box is lined with a wood plank the which forms a warm contrast to the exterior and materially ties into the local vernacular. The limitations of this particular site is an undeniable aspect of assessing both project plan layouts. As the diagrams on the following page illustrate, a major feature of the site is the established electric easement cutting across a large section of the south east corner; directly related to the large high voltage power lines overhead. Although many would agree in recom- B R W A R C H I T E C T S 112 fourth street NE charlottesville virginia 22902 434.9 71.7 160 www.brw-architects.com mending positioning the building's prominent corner (and jewel box) closer to the street edge, the easement has forced us to locate the building to- ward the rear of the site. You will also notice that the easement - in running diagonally across the site - pinches the southern portion. This circumstance along with the presence of steep slopes - shifts the Mazda building toward the north west section. Vehicular circulation is another major component limiting options on how the site might be laid with safe and efficient traffic flow. Engineering rec- ommendations for limiting entry to a shared access make the notion of efficient traffic flow paramount to this already tight, oddly shaped site. The current building plans strategically place the customer drop off garage as close as possible to the main road entry - which thereby reduces the amount of cars driving around the parking lot. In addition both dealer drop-off stations - which have to be adjacent to the showroom - are also situated where a more private drive connects the drop off to the service garage. The new VW complex (131 1 Stoney Point Road) will provide the same full -service amenities as Mazda and is located on the next parcel down on the lot that currently includes the old Rexall building and also a smaller out -building to the north; both of which are slated for demolition. Other than the buildings mentioned above, the nature of this lot is mostly an old parking lot and overgrown vegetation. Unlike Mazda, which is oriented orthogonal to Rt. 250, VW orientation turns its front fapade to run parallel to Rt. 20; helping to reinforce and maintain a street edge. With the electrical easement less of a constraint on this parcel, the major limitation is the site's long and skinny proportion. As with Mazda, the buildings orientation allows for immediate proximity from the Entry to vehicular drop-off as well as an efficient connector driveway from drop off zone to Service Bays. As with Mazda, the entry to the Service Bays are hidden/screened from site by the main building. As with Mazda, this particular site layout is advantageous in allowing for efficient daily operations and a plus for the Entrance Corri- dor in the way it limits the visual noise of constant visible moving vehicular traffic on site. While these projects will be under one ownership, as 2 unrelated corpora- tion on different parcels, they are considered separate projects. However, given their adjacency and location on an important corner of the En- trance Corridor; the county recommended studying them together given the impact they will ultimately have in the area. We look forward to work- ing with the county in providing the best possible design solutions. PROJECT NARRATIVE FLOW MAZDA/ VOLKSWAGEN AUTOMOTIVE SHOWROOM & SERVICE CENTER ARB Submittal June 24, 2019 6 R W A R C H I T E C T S 112 fourth street NE charlottesville virginia 22902 434.971.7160 www.brw-architects.com Response Memo to County Recommendations 1. Revise Forms, proportions, scale and materials to achieve greater balance of contemporary design with historic compatibility • VW - The following are changes made in response to the above recommendation: o Reducing Length of Front Facade and in turn diminishing the front curtain wall. A major design revision was achieved by removing the Ser- vice Bay Doors from the main glass front facade and pushing the entire Service Bay front back from the main facade by 15'. This revision relates to the Design Guidelines by breaking down the building scale, reducing the sense of blankness of the original predominantly glass front facade, and fostering greater connection to the local historic fabric. o Numerous Material Changes: Both the addition of stone paneling replacing VW's white metal paneling and the addition of brick create a greater balance of contemporary with Historic compatibility. • Mazda - o Replacing all white metal paneling with Brick - A good deal of the original Mazda design included white metal paneling that we are now substituting for brick. o Addressed further breaking down the scale of the Service Bay block through material detailing. While the original design begins to break down the scale of the entire building by different `sub-massses' , the Service Bay scale and proportion has been revised in this revision by bringing the new brick down to the corner. This move elimi- nates the stark contrast between the upper and lower half of this volume - which created a sense that the upper white sec- tion was floating - and in turn creates a sense of `grounding'. In addition, the revised design articulates patterning through detailing reveals within the brick; which helps to break down and lend interest to the brick face. FLOW MAZDA/ VOLKSWAGEN AUTOMOTIVE SHOWROOM & SERVICE CENTER ARB Submittal June 24, 2019 2. Revise the architectural desians to use forms, features. materials and colors that are compatible with the forms and features of signif- icant historic buildings in the area. Consider brick or stone or other natural materials instead of metal panels. Consider revising the massing of the VW service drop-off. • VW o Per Board's recommendation, we revised the Service Drop off Bay - disenagaing it from the main front facade; thereby breaking down the scale of the overall structure. Now appearing as a smaller volume beside the larger show- room, this redesign is more in keeping with the local context by reducing the extent of the main glass facade and creat- ing a larger to smaller relationship that not only relates better to the surrounding historic structures but also to the Mazda design. o Stone - particularly limestone paneling - shall replace the orignal white metal paneling on the design main frames. o Brick is now being used as a secondary accent material ink cluding at the front elevation of the Service Bay. Adding a material more in keeping with the local building material palette. • Mazda o Brick shall replace all white metal paneling A major shift in the predominant building skin that brings the design more in line with the local context. 3. Provide Details proposed curtain wall • See included detail drawings 4. Clarify that the windows in the service wing use vision c la ass • Confirmed 5. Revise Design to emphasize human scale • VW o The new revised massing reduces the overall scale of the building by breaking it down to a major and minor volume; thereby moving from a more monumental design to one more in line with the human scale. o The Entry Portals within the Showroom glass facade help re- late the 2 story structure to the human scale and provide an instantly recognizeable entry element for the B R W A R C H I T E C T S 112 fourth street NE charlottesville virginia 22902 434.9 71.7 160 www.brw-architects.com pedestrian. Also the entry now clad in limestone - were reduced in size upon redesign. o The new material change provides a warmer, more tex- tured and sensory experience for the human scale. • Mazda o The Mazda Design breaks down the entire complex into a series of massings more in keeping with the human scale. o Although a 2 story space, the Mazda 'Jewel Box' is lined inside with a warm wood the that relates better to the human scale vs a colder ma- terial. o As with VW, the Mazda switch to a majority of exterior brick as a new material change provides a warmer, more textured and sensory experience for the human scale. 6. Revise Desian to establish areater coordination with nearb buildings. • VW o With a change of materials - brick and stone - we are relating the new VW to the best precedents within the surrounding context. o The building's orientation on site also reflects the inten- tion of defining the street edge while also hiding the Service Bay volume to the rear of the site. 0 • Mazda o The reduction of a majority of the metal paneling. o White Brick - there are many examples of brick / stucco palette within the corridor. With the grey to white combination, we are striving for an elegant solution that on the other hand doesn't call too much attention to itself and fits well within the sur- rounding fabric. 7. Revise the Trademark Desian to meet the EC Guidlelines o seepage 'Existing trademark Buildings for comparison imagery and further clarificaiton on how these particular designs depart from the standard trademarks. 8. Provide specificaiton on window Glass o glass to meet EC guildelines - sample can be provided if requested. 0 12. Standard Mech Equip. note placed on Architecturals 13. Eliminate the illumination trough from the design. o We request keeping illumintion trough with the condition that it be set on a timer per the County's regulation. 9.-30. Refer to SITE PLAN RESPONSE TO COUNTY COMMENTS FLOW MAZDA/ VOLKSWAGEN AUTOMOTIVE SHOWROOM & SERVICE CENTER ARB Submittal June 24, 2019 existing VW site looking north east on RT 20 existing VW site looking south east on RT 20 B R W A R C H I T E C T S 112 fourth street NE charlottesville virginia 22902 434.971.7160 www.brw-architects.com existing Mazda site looking north east on RT 20 existing Mazda site looking south east on RT 20 SITE EXISTING PHOTOS FLOW MAZDA/ VOLKSWAGEN AUTOMOTIVE SHOWROOM & SERVICE CENTER ARB Submittal June 24, 2019 1 " = 100'-0" PROPERTY LINE FRONTAGE 1 " = 100'-0" B R W A R C H I T E C T S 112 fourth street NE charlottesville virginia 22902 434.971.7160 www.brw-architects.com 1 " = 100'-0" SITE DIAGRAMS FLOW MAZDA/ VOLKSWAGEN AUTOMOTIVE SHOWROOM & SERVICE CENTER ARB Submittal June 24, 2019 �. —PROPERTY LINE 2 i I Building to be demolised scale: 1 " = 50'-0" B R W A R C H I T E C T S 112 fourth street NE charlottesville virginia 22902 434.971.7160 www.brw-architects.com pR�'OF Rrylp�F II building to demolised 1311 Stony Point RD II ELI `::::::: ILI �.N Existing Mazda I1298 Stony Point I I Parking lot STONY p l20 ` O/NT EXISTING SITE PLAN FLOW MAZDA/ VOLKSWAGEN AUTOMOTIVE SHOWROOM & SERVICE CENTER ARB Submittal June 24, 2019 scale : 1 " = 50'-0" B R W A R C H I T E C T S 112 fourth street NE charlottesville virginia 22902 434.971.7160 www.brw-architects.com FA I BUILDING PLANS AND SITE CIRCULATION FLOW MAZDA/ VOLKSWAGEN AUTOMOTIVE SHOWROOM & SERVICE CENTER ARB Submittal June 24, 2019 B R W A R C H I T E C T S 112 fourth street NE charlottesville virginia 22902 434.971.7160 www.brw-architects.com EXISTING SITE PHOTO LOOKING NORTH EAST FROM RT. 250 INTERSECTION FLOW MAZDA/ VOLKSWAGEN AUTOMOTIVE SHOWROOM & SERVICE CENTER ARB Submittal June 24, 2019