Preliminary Questions
What does the building desire to be?
• Showroom space, workspace, positive cultural addition to downtown Durham.
What should the space stand for?
• An example of a modern integrated workplace/showroom
• Think urban gallery
What should be its identity?
• It should draw from the identity of the people who work within it.
• A place for the creative to come and produce, a place to inspire future projects.
• That cool window display
What are the specifics on the original site that I want to engage in?
• The façade—there is a huge opportunity to create some serious curb appeal. I want the window display to add to the urban landscape
• Enhance the space inside—by creating environment that has structure but is loose, all at the same time. I want to work with the rectangular box, no unnecessary walls and maybe a mezzanine
The Problem
The site in question is a blank canvas. It is a big box. In the case of the interior, there are no walls and few limitations. As for the exterior, there are a few more limitations, but still an enormous opportunity to transform the space into an exciting addition to the urban landscape of downtown Durham. In general, the entire building is needs to be given dimension. As it is now, the building seems too flat and plain. This space needs definition by carving out multifunctional spaces and curb appeal by enhancing the view from the street.
My Story
After leaving the parking deck, I cross the street. I have the building in my site. As I’m walking up Orange Street, I look to my left and see the latest window display and guess who assembled it and what products they used. I catch my coworker’s eye through the glass and wave as I turn the corner to the entrance. I open the door, and I am enveloped in a cocoon of color, creativity, texture, and light. There is jazz music playing softly in the background as I pass the front desk. I look up at the workroom on the mezzanine and smile as I see a few of my coworkers already tapping away at their laptops or talking on the phone (personal and work calls). I jog purposefully up the cast iron staircase on the right to access the mezzanine. I move to put down my purse and laptop. After grabbing a cup of coffee from the cart nearby, I wander to the railing and look down below at the colorful vignettes created by the clusters of furniture.
