Headquarter Corporate Office for Andy’s Frozen Custard Company
Andy’s Frozen Custard relocates headquarters to downtown Springfield, a pedestrian oriented area that provides this family-owned business with a renewed connection to the community. Dake Wells Architecture provided architectural and interior design services for the 3,400 square foot storefront renovation. Andrew Wells, FAIA, LEED AP, Dake Wells Architecture’s Principal in Charge for the project explained, “The total project cost was limited to $25 per square foot so the attitude toward the design was one of multiplicity. Design decisions were made that perform multiple functions with as few moves as possible”. The design organizes the program and re-engages the street through lighting, color and perspectival views from the deepest parts of the space.
The design solution focuses on a folded “wrapper” organizing the space into thirds to permit views and admit daylight from the street. The “wrapper” extends to the rear of the space and defines a break area with a connection to the exterior. An “office bar” is centrally located under the wrapper and provides a place for collaboration and supply storage. The existing building shell is painted white while the “wrapper” is painted red in reference to a bowl of cherries, a trademark topping of the client’s frozen custard. The “wrapper” allows for an existing pressed tin ceiling and large storefront windows to be maintained while concealing existing overhead plumbing lines and ductwork. Aluminum awning windows salvaged from another project were rotated 90 degrees and used as casements to admit north light to the workstations, giving each workstation individual control of daylight and ventilation. Translucent polycarbonate barn doors define semi-private spaces without sacrificing daylight.
The limited budget directed the solution toward making use of the existing plumbing and mechanical systems, which inspired the “wrapper”. The introduction of this new element provided acoustic absorption within the existing, overly reverberant building shell. High efficiency fluorescent fixtures located on top of the wrapper indirectly light the tin ceiling. Wall mounted fixtures supplement the indirect lighting on one side and reinforce the perspective from the street, while task lighting is utilized at each workstation. This simple solution to providing a collaborative work environment enables its users to engage with the architecture, each other, and the community of downtown Springfield. It really does make it fun to be a kid for while.
