Recognizing they were designing a building to sell carbon intensive machinery, Site Specific wanted to make sure the building would be as eco-friendly as possible. The client also needed the dealership fast in order to start selling cars immediately. The solution then was a modular construction where the dealership would be built in six stages.
First the initial containerand sales room would be installed, and then over the next five months additional rooms and facilities would be added to complete the dealership and showroom. The containers would be lifted off the ground with minimal supports and cantilevered over the driveway to mark the entrance. This dramatic arrangement is exciting, which when coupled with the industrial/modern aesthetic, creates an eye-popping and enticing space.
Site Specific chose shipping containers for three reasons: first, they reduce the carbon footprint of the construction process and recycles existing materials; second, it allows them to achieve an industrial aesthetic with the overall symbolism of the transportation system; and third, the containers are modular, which allows them to build in phases. As an added bonus, because the property is leased, should the Mazda dealership ever need to move, the entire structure can be dismantled, transported and rebuilt in a new locale.
Images © Site Specific
