| BEANIE + CECIL BABY |
Raleigh, NC, 2008
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The program for this children's store is accommodated in a series of freestanding and interdependent millwork pieces placed in the existing retail shell. The project, with a modest budget, is composed of a simple palette of plywood panels, gypsum board, slate chalkboard panels, and polished concrete. Much like a child's 3 dimensional wooden puzzle, these elements are thought of as forming a single entity, pulled apart to define spaces between for display and storage on a variety of scales. The primary architectural element is a 54' long and 2'-6" thick panelized plywood wall that anchors the smaller wooden elements. It provides a place for concealed storage as well as retail display, with openings that vary in response to their content. By eliminating the typical back of house storage space, this thickened wall allows for efficient storage and more retail floor space, which provides enough volume to treat the furniture pieces as independent sculptural elements.
The office is a built-in desk behind the L-shaped slate chalkboard wall. This wall anchors the rear elevation of the store, and provides a backdrop for the transaction desk, free standing platforms, and furniture elements.
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