When designing a retail space for a brand that has been in operation for many years, sometimes a client will request to work with existing furnishings. Whenever possible it is best to try and reduce, reuse, and recycle materials that are in good condition. However, this does require more creative planning in the design process to determine how the existing furnishings can be recycled and refinished to blend with the new materials.
The first retail store location for Nordika required a lot of pre-design, coordination, and assembly on the job site to make use of the existing modular shelving units. Our client had other retail stores throughout Buenos Aires and requested the reuse of some modular shelving units that were being stored in the upstairs storage of another store location.
It was a rainy day in Flores when I went to visit the store where the shelving pieces were stored. I took measurements and labeled every disassembled piece, then back at my office I designed with each shelving unit in mind. Additional finish carpentry work was added to better integrate the individual modules so that each sector would appear as a continuous shelving unit. LED lighting strips were also integrated into the finish trim work to better illuminate the products and fabrics.
The clients were pleased with the conceptual design and reuse of the existing shelving units. Utilizing existing materials can be time consuming, yet all the planning and coordination is worth the hassle.
“Experience is what you get while looking for something else.”
– Federico Fellini –
Please read the followup story titled “Moving Day Musical in Flores” for a comical account of the day the movers picked up the existing shelving units in Flores.
CALZACORTA 