Tire South Atlanta

Year: 2024 Design & Honor Awards | Category: Renovation/Restoration/Adaptive-Reuse under $1M

This project is the renovation and expansion of a long vacant automotive repair shop. The oddly shaped site is constrained on all sides by setbacks for the highway right-of-way, a stream buffer, and an adjacent property/business. An abbreviated project budget meant that land disturbance must be minimal, and any new construction needed to be efficient. A new steel structure complements the existing building frame while economical/durable materials were chosen for framing, cladding, and interior finishes. The building’s aesthetics are consistent with the client’s other locations to maintain branding, while maximizing visibility from the busy highway on which the project sits.

Design Challenge

Due to strict scheduling concerns and budget constraints, early site investigations revealed a need to stay below 5000 SF of land disturbance to avoid being classified under the city’s most stringent review category, a process that would have ultimately killed the project. These land disturbance constraints were further exacerbated by a stream buffer and state highway right-of-way setback on opposite sides of the irregularly shaped parcel. The client’s program called for a new lobby/office space, onsite material storage and a minimum number of vehicle bays to make the project “pencil”. Numerous design studies revealed a broken “L” shaped plan as the most efficient solution, allowing the existing structure to remain grandfathered into the building setbacks while being flanked by new additions at either side. The shapes/forms of the new additions were determined through a synthesis of the setback requirements and programmatic efficiency. The large, red bar that defines the front façade visually unifies the existing structure with the new lobby addition, while providing an opportunity for signage at a scale appropriate for the speed of the adjacent highway.

Subterranean issues uncovered during foundation work added further stresses to the already limited budget. This meant that finish materials must be both affordable and durable. A simple color palette of various metal panel profiles, cementitious siding, and inexpensive ceramic tile were utilized in unexpected and playful ways. These details elevate ubiquitous materials beyond their typical applications, deploying them in a manner that is evocative of the nature of the building’s program.

Firm
Office of Design

Project Location
Atlanta, Georgia

Completion Date
10/1/2021

Architects and Designers
Miles Shearron
Danny England

Civil Engineer
Paul Flippo

MEP Engineer 
Westside Engineering

Structural Engineer
Stability Engineering

General Contractor
Chris Martin / DCM Contracting, Inc.

Photographer
ERICSUNPHOTOGRAPHY