2020 Directory

37 Location: Casper, WY Size: 5,220 sq ft Category: Small Project M.R. South Storefronts Stateline No.7 Architects Award of Citation T he project began when the owner of a small, underutilized office building resolved to transform the structure to fill the space. The structure is situated on a prominent street frontage in the downtown of a bustling commer- cial district. It was determined that the locale was better suited for a program that included retail to complement the surrounding urban condition. The building façade had previously been over- lain with exposed aggregate, which was removed in favor of red brick to echo nearby structures. Storefronts are reopened in the façade and designed to fold out of the way, allowing the retail spaces to spill out onto the sidewalk and the street boulevard beyond on warm summer days. At the same time, transoms are used to define an organized location for signage. Art deco façade pilasters are clad in corten metal and accentuated with custom integral light sconces while wood beams support arched polycarbonate panels to form canopies — all merging in a new genre of modern western boutique façade to com- plete the look. While only one of the interior tenant finishes was part of the project —Wyoming Symphony — a concept of stripping the interior down to the struc- ture to reveal the historic “bones” set the tone for the other tenant spaces. Today the structure is fully occupied and the building again contributes to the vibrancy of the downtown. b