Best Commercial Remodel
Over $500,000
This 6,000 square foot masonry building was originally a tire and auto
repair shop built in the 1960’s, and was a storage facility from 1990
until 2001 when R.W. James purchased the building to house their
offices. The garage openings were filled with concrete block up to four
feet, with aluminum storefront window frames installed. The exterior was
repainted, and a copper fascia was applied to compliment both the new
building color as well as the ceramic tile. The interior was completely
demolished, including removing the concrete floor with its many
hydraulic lifts and service pits. The interior was designed as an open
office plan, while the conference room, technology center, and executive
office were located under the mezzanine and enclosed with glass. As part
of the adaptive reuse project, they were able to incorporate the
preservation of four large ceramic tile murals, each one 30 feet wide by
22 feet high and weighing in excess of 25,000 pounds. The murals were
set to be destroyed when the building they were on was scheduled for
demolition. After contacting the original artist, a plan was devised to
save the murals. Each mural was disassembled tile by tile, and to assure
accurate reassembly they were photographed and all the pieces numbered.
One mural was installed on the exterior of the RW James building. Two
will be used for phase two of the building, and a fourth will be
reassembled as part of a community development project for the City of
Escondido.
