ServisFirst Bank - Summerville

One of the projects we have the good fortune to be a part of is the adaptive reuse of a mid-century retail building into Servis 1st Bank’s latest branch location. Servis 1st happens to be our own bank which brings a rare and welcomed full circle moment to providing architectural services. Some of our other favorite aspects of this downtown Summerville project include:

• Servis 1st’s reinvestment in the Town of Summerville’s historic downtown fabric by giving a vacant corner building a new activated chapter.

• Leveraging the existing road and utility infrastructure.

• Reuse of an existing building thus preventing demolition and sending building materials to landfills.

• Receiving support from the Town of Summerville’s Design Review Board on the proposed design improvements.

The existing building at the corner of North Cedar and W. 3rd North Street in downtown Summerville was previously used as a multi-tenant retail building primarily addressing North Cedar street. To increase the visibility and welcome customers, a corner porch element was added along with additional windows to provide natural light and align with the programmatic use. Aesthetically, the exterior improvements take cues from the building’s mid-century vintage. Vertical slat installations for sun screening and a fresh coat of paint round out the exterior changes.

General Contractor: Harbor Contracting

Site Planning: Bowman Engineering

Structural Engineering: ADC Engineering

MPE Engineering: Charleston Engineering

Architecture + Interiors: Rush Dixon Architects

Dayfield Park Buildings A + B

Dayfield Park is a soon-to-be, modern day office park and commercial destination in the award-winning Nexton Community, in Summerville, SC. The design approach for these two commercial buildings is rooted in strong massing, innovative detailing and creating an inspiring place to work and do business. The development will ultimately include multiple buildings by several local architects (like our friends at Bello Garris) creating a varied interpretation linked by the same departure points: relevant and marketable commercial spaces, innovative yet locally inspired architecture and connecting the buildings with the thoughtful site design focusing on outdoor gathering areas for patrons and workers.

The project was subject to the Nexton community design guidelines which prioritize the following:

• Architecture, land planning and landscape drawn from local and regional traditions but look to the future regarding specific design.

• A commitment to sustainable design focused on protecting what we are here to enjoy and the creation of an overall healthier living environment.

• Architecture - purposeful building designs that incorporate new and innovative building materials, systems, technologies and architectural expressions.

• Use materials in innovative and unexpected ways.

• Use clean, simple shapes in both massing and details.

• Emphasize the relationship and flow between indoor and outdoor environments.

View of Dayfield Park B from the central gathering space

So what is a modern interpretation of a suburban office park? Today’s workforce wants to be connected to multiple uses, amenities, food + beverage options and outdoor space. Outdoor space can be passive, specific or flexible for all ages, uses and times of day; this also provides the ownership with an amenity to use for special events if desired. The blending of inside and outside is a strategy to allow patrons and workers to feel connected to the outdoor environs. Sidewalks and bike parking are important to offset the needed parking and vehicular pathways. During our research we found this interesting article from the New York TImes “The Suburban Office Park, an Aging Relic, Seeks a Comeback” which speaks to some lessons developers and designers could learn from the past. (The 80s might have been great for some things but not urban planning.)

View of Dayfield Park A from office park interior

The architecture for the buildings cosigns a minimalist approach with materials familiar to the area. Exterior materials include a modified board and batten wall system with varied batten spacing, cypress wood accents for warmth and standing seam metal roof panels for durability on the high slope areas. Angling the walls at the building’s entrances create a dynamic experience and covered areas. Special thanks to our clients for allowing us to be a part of this endeavor and the design team members we collaborated with:

Site Design: Seamon Whiteside

Structural Engineering: ADC Engineering

Mech, Elec, Plumbing Engineering: Charleston Engineering

Branding: Obviouslee

View of Dayfield Park B from the central gathering space

Brighton's Court at Nexton

The vision for Brighton’s Court, a pair of commercial buildings on Brighton Park Boulevard in the Nexton community, is to create a welcoming retail and office environment through deliberate architecture and site planning. The buildings engage the street and benefit from a central courtyard gathering area envisioned to have specialty trees, seating, and catenary lights to create an inviting outdoor room for employees and patrons.

The general architectural direction is informed by the client’s neighboring building, Coastal Fertility Specialists, and strives for clarity in form, varied textures, and engaging entrances and spaces. The buildings are “book-matched” along the courtyard axis and are massed so that the outer ends of the buildings are weighted “bookends” to the overall composition. The heavy masonry forms gradually erode toward the courtyard, enhancing the connection between the indoor and outdoor spaces. Composite wood and glass becomes more prevalent toward the courtyard emphasizing this gradient concept.

This project is under the purview of the Nexton Design Committee and thus their design manual. Per the architectural guidelines, “Garden offices should combine materials thoughtfully and offer an opportunity to explore and blur the boundaries between discrete inside and outside experiences. The temperate climate should be exploited through development of exterior spaces. Forms and architectural devices should be developed to emphasize the human scale of these workplaces.”

Project Team

• Harbor Contracting - General Contracting

• Empire Engineering - Civil Engineering

• ADC Engineering - Structural Engineering

• Charleston Engineering - Mechanical, Electrical + Plumbing Engineering

• Belk Lucy: Leasing Agent

Bird’s eye view of the two “book-matched” buildings and central courtyard.

Diagram showing the gradient concept For building massing from heavy to light - blurring the line between inside and outside

Coastal Fertility Specialists - Nexton's Newest Addition

South Carolina’s premier fertility center, Coastal Fertility Specialists, has opened their newest facility in the Nexton neighborhood to better serve patients in the Summerville area. As experienced experts with high pregnancy rates and national patient satisfaction awards, Coastal Fertility Specialists wanted a forward-thinking, modern design to align with their practice. This was achieved with the use of edited forms, clean lines, and a material palette including Nichiha siding, steel, glass and brick.

Construction: Harbor Contracting

Photos: Chris Smith

Coastal Fertility Specialists - Nexton

South Carolina’s premier fertility center, Coastal Fertility Specialists, is expanding to the Nexton neighborhood to better serve patients in the Summerville area. As experienced experts with high pregnancy rates and national patient satisfaction awards, Coastal Fertility Specialists wanted a forward-thinking, modern design. Due date: 2020

Brighton Park Blvd. Street Elevation

Entry Drive Elevation