In today’s retail landscape, creating a sense of community within a physical store is becoming increasingly important. With the ever-present influence of online shopping, brick-and-mortar retailers need to offer experiences that e-commerce cannot replicate. One powerful way to do this is by incorporating dedicated community spaces into retail design.
At COR3 Design, we are constantly inspired by our travels–whether they are site visits to another part of the country or vacations around the world. It is no accident that our time spent off the clock is typically in pursuit of cultural stimulation.
Completed in 1996, the Dancing House was a groundbreaking collaboration between Croatian-Czech architect Vlado Milunić and Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry. Their vision was a radical departure from Prague’s traditional aesthetic–a deconstructivist design of undulating concrete and glass meant to evoke the image of a pair of dancers, symbolizing the newly liberated nation emerging onto the world stage.
The pandemic highlighted the importance of industrial spaces because warehousing is crucial to support the demands of e-commerce. According to CNBC, Amazon alone has more than 110 active fulfillment centers in the United States and more than 185 globally (SOURCE). These facilities range from 600,000 to 1 million square feet in size.
Each quarter, COR3 selects a philanthropy to support—either with a donation, volunteer activity, or advocacy. This quarter, we are participating in a fundraising event called Tri My Best on May 5.
Google’s most recent venture in New York, transforming the 1930’s St. John’s Terminal into its headquarters, is a strong case study on innovative architecture, environmental responsibility, and the power of teamwork, which are all values we have at COR3 Design.
When COR3 Design first started back in 2011, our bread and butter was designing retail spaces for our clients. We were deeply embedded in national chain stores like Hobby Lobby, Ross Dress for Less, and Beall’s Outlet–to name a few. Our work took us across the country for site visits and project updates, and we gained licensure in dozens of states.
When COR3 Design created the first plans for a car wash development near its home office in Greenville, South Carolina, they had no idea it would become such a powerful niche. Since starting as an architectural firm 13 years ago, the firm specializes in designing multiple kinds of commercial spaces–focusing on large-scale retail initially before expanding to other commercial entities.
At COR3, we’re always looking toward the future of architecture and design–particularly when it comes to making building processes more efficient, sustainable, and adaptable. One innovation that has been growing in popularity since 2020 is modular construction. For the uninitiated, modular construction is when different parts of a building are constructed offsite, and later assembled at the construction site.
Recently, our team visited a warehouse under construction in our hometown of Greenville, SC to check on progress. The original design for this project was completed in 2020 as a speculative warehouse in partnership with RealtyLink. Now, it is being upfitted for the needs of its new tenant, American Tire Distributors.
COR3 Design
125 Rhett St., Suite 101
Greenville, SC 29601
+1 (864) 451-5288