03/07/2024
This was a very interesting remodel project of an existing building of approximately 40,000 s.f., which originally was a department store turned commercial office, sat vacant for years, and now Shannon's Auto Body. Located in Brainerd, MN, the client already had many layout options developed from paint booth and consulting companies before it ended up in my lap through multiple referrals at the same time. Glad it did!
This state-of-the-art high production shop is square shaped, with structural columns throughout the shop. The key is to let production flow work in sync with the fixed structural elements so that they almost disappear rather than get in the way. We kept as much of the existing walls as we could with minor tweaks. For a past retail store with a prominent existing architecture layout, it would be best to work with what's there and enhance it, rather than completely gut and redesign. That would create a lot of waste (environmentally unsustainable), increase project time and cost significantly.
From the on-set, we started with a line of spray booths and prep station equipment in the middle of the huge square, with fluid drive through flow AND sideways flow on in-ground rails. This provided flexibility and maximized the total stall count, with minimum square footage wasted for drive aisle.
Since this facility offers ADAS Calibration (Advanced Driver-Assistance System Calibration), Paintless Dent Repair, and mechanical services, the customer lounge needed to be more than just check in/ check out. I felt the production shop should be showcased so that customers could have a view into the massive production behind the scenes and say, "WOW! So this is beyond what I'd ever imagine a body shop would look!" How about some hot coffee, snack, and sit by the fireplace, plug in your phone or watch TV while you wait on a cold winter day? Would you want to make this errand stop?
Space utilization design for the automotive collision repair industry
