T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R C A P TA I N S O F I N D U S T R YARCHITECTURE LEADERS TODAYwww.architectureleaderstoday.com

Retail TherapyBRR ARCHITECTURECoast to coast, this firm is raising the bar with modern and thoughtful designs of retail spaces like the recently completed Cosentino’s Downtown Market in Kansas City.

BRR Architecture’s intimate knowledge of retail operations has brought them big-name projects around the world. by Joel Cornell

Retail Therapy

Cosentino’s Downtown Market. Kansas City. Centered in Kansas City’s hustling Power & Light District, this market is heavily trafficked by the over 100,000 residents, workers, and visitors of Downtown Kansas City. Cosentino’s Downtown Market caters to customers on the go by featuring an 83 ft salad bar, gourmet pasta bar, pastries, brick pizza oven, sushi bar, and coffee bar.

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2 Architecture Leaders Today September/October 2011 3

Understanding the dynamic, fluid nature of the built environment is key for just about any professional in the field of archi-

tecture. Similarly, being able to understand how that nature spills over into our daily lives and our interpersonal relationships is the foundation upon which BRR Architecture has built their success. Since their humble beginnings in 1963, the firm has changed dramatically, in terms of philosophy, direction and leadership. Still, the firm’s current leadership has maintained this understanding of constant motion in architecture and brings it to bear on their daily efforts around the world.

In the firm’s first years as Franklin Frieze Archi-tects, company founders Bill Franklin and C.I. Frieze began with a heavy focus in the commercial sector. Particularly, their first major jobs were in providing new supermarket designs for Safeway, alongside other work in shopping centers. In 1986, the firm brought on a new partner, Bill Boyce, the “B” in BRR Architecture.

Upon the retirement of the original owners, architects Chris Rhea and Chuck Raydel joined Boyce as owners of the 20 person firm in 1993. The firm finally rebranded as BRR Architecture in 2006.

“Something our firm has been focused on throughout the entirety of our existence is the development of our leaders,” said Rhea, president. “The proper transition of leadership internally has been vital in the way we’ve grown and changed over the years.

“If you look at our history, we have a large presence in commercial and retail work. We’ve grown very strategically over the last 10 to 15 years, increasing not just our staff but the skill sets we retain across the board. Since then, we’ve grown to over 225 employees.”

Boyd Rau, senior vice president of marketing, said he gets a call from Rhea every 18-24 months about the next team of leaders.

“Most architects never really get much, if any, training on leadership and management during their collegiate studies. When they come to work for us, they get that training that gives them the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and maintain an more fluid position that can translate into a leadership role. It takes an investment of both time and resources, but we couldn’t have grown to the size we are now without those tactics,” he said.

opposite: Cosentino’s Downtown Market. Kansas City. Most full-line grocery stores are approximately 65,000 sq ft. At this urban location, the Owner’s were offered a mere 30,000 sq ft footprint. Capitalizing on the 22’ ceilings with the use of two separate mezzanines, BRR expanded the Owner’s functional square footage by 6,000 sq. ft.

above, left: Cosentino’s Downtown Market. Kansas City. Produce section.

above, right: Cosentino’s Downtown Market. Kansas City. BRR’s design of this unique urban market won the Gold Award in the category Architecture/Interior from KC Home Design and Midwest CJ Magazine. This project also won a prestigious Capstone Award in the Retail category from the Kansas City Business Journal.

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Spread from coast to coast, BRR Architec-ture maintains six office branches apart from their headquarters in Kansas City. Strategically located in San Francisco, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Bentonville, Atlanta and Miami, each branch is led by those who have led the company in various ways in the past. Through this focus on proper leadership reinforced by a deep understanding of the company’s philosophy, BRR Architecture has been able to successfully spread their firm across the U.S. and internationally as well.

Walmart has been a client of BRR Archi-tecture for 20 years, employing them on many projects across all 50 states and 10 different countries. Most recently, the firm completed a new Walmart in Leavenworth, Kan. – it’s the first store for the chain that utilizes their newest branding endeavor. The Leavenworth Walmart is the chain’s first store to use LED lighting as a part of their energy efficiency initiative; and, BRR introduced Walmart to BIM on this project.

“Our relationship with Walmart has been more of a partnership than anything else,” said Peter Dunn, director of business development. “Our firm has been critical in Walmart’s growth and

success; and they have been just as critical in our own success. Ours is a relationship of constant teamwork, communication and collaboration. Any endeavor will stumble from time to time, but the constant amount of feedback we share has helped to shape each project and the overall philosophy of both companies.

“They’ve continued to raise the bar on what they expect from us. We honestly enjoy demanding clients, and Walmart has really let us get better, faster and stronger.”

In the downtown Power and Light District of Kansas City, near BRR’s headquarters, is one of the firm’s most recent projects for Cosentino’s Downtown Market. Outwards from this central neighborhood is what many call a grocery desert, with not a single full-service grocery store inside of five miles.

“Most full-service grocery stores are between 50,000 and 70,000 sq. ft.,” said Meggan McDonald, marketing coordinator. “We faced a rather small footprint of just 30,000 sq. ft., and the client was still aiming for a full-service store. Our largest challenge was figuring out how to arrange the out-of-sight storage areas, while placing the

above, left: Cosentino’s Downtown Market. Kansas City. Deli section.

above, right: Cosentino’s Downtown Market. Kansas City. Seating section.

opposite: Design features of this store included a liquor department reminiscent of an ‘old world’ Tuscan setting with a series of painted groin vaults as well as a grand staircase with custom wrought iron baluster leading to the dining mezzanine.

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6 Architecture Leaders Today September/October 2011 7

JoHnston BurkHoldEr assoCiatEsjbaengr.com

over the last 15 years, Johnston Burkholder Associates (JBA) and BRR Architects have built a strong relationship based on a variety of large, retail projects across the United States. From

superstores like Walmart to supermarkets like Cosentino’s, the JBA and BRR team has touched almost every building code and jurisdiction imaginable.

“I think we’ve become BRR’s preferred structural engineer consultant through our ability to consistently meet strict schedule requirements,” said Scott Burkholder, P.E. co-principal of JBA. “For example, Walmart has a very established process, prototype and quick turnaround time. BRR needs consultants who can deliver that as well.”

Regardless of when JBA enters a project, Burkholder said close collaboration is essential. “Literally, our staff members are in BRR’s office daily working with their staff. Then we make a

minimum of four site visits during the construction phase.” Currently, JBA is working on projects in Florida, New York, Washington and Arizona.

To keep up with industry practices, JBA is a member of 12 professional organizations including the American Institute of Steel Construction and the National Society of Architectural Engineers.

“Even if the client doesn’t necessarily care what associations we are part of, it really helps us maintain our state-of-the-art operation,” Burkholder said. Johnston Burkholder Associates and BRR have completed many projects together and are looking forward to continued success in the future.

above: Walmart. Leavenworth, Kan. Entertainment section. As one of the first stores to be completed using Walmart’s new brand, this project was key to Walmart’s initiative to use LED lights to illuminate the interior and exterior of the store as part of an energy efficiency project involving a score of other retailers and the U.S. Energy Department.

This supercenter was also the first project in Walmart history to use BIM to produce the construction documents and has laid the groundwork for future BIM and Revit projects.

top: Hudson News. Raleigh, N.C. Hudson News is a news center that holds a selection of media and merchandise. Different sized square and rectangular tiles in subtle tonal contrasts help form the storefront and create visual interest for the traveler. This tonal variety carries through the space with blue tiles from the storefront to similar floor tile used to emphasis the brand. For a punch of color, orange glass tiles create contrast with the neutral white tile backdrop. Overall, the design suggests a refined mood and atmosphere where all travelers can find something of interest.

bottom: One Pacific Place.; Omaha, Neb.. BRR designed and help implement an exterior refresh of the existing 91,500 sq ft retail center. The renovation consisted of complete demolition and removal of dated exterior finishes and the addition of new finishes consisting primarily of EIFS and stone that were added to revitalize the center and attract new and exciting tenants.

bakery and fresh food components alongside a space designated for HVAC.”

Cosentino’s Downtown Market, due to its location, caters largely to a customer base that’s always on the go. As such, the market features a full, 83 ft. long salad bar, including a gourmet pasta bar, pastries, sushi bar, brick pizza oven and coffee bar. However, BRR saw room for more. Utilizing the preexisting building’s 22-foot ceilings, the firm managed to integrate two mez-zanines for the market. By opening day, the firm had managed to fit a total of 36,000 sq. ft. into a much smaller space.

“Most people here are too humble to say it, but I’ve had my fair share of experience with other firms and can say for certain that ego and self are never problems here like they are in some

firms,” Dunn said. “Though I’ve been working with BRR Architecture for nearly a 15 years, I’ve only been a member of the team for a few months. The firms I’ve worked with over the years will sometimes get carried away with their own creative ambitions. They see their next project as a chance to try something they’ve wanted to see. That won’t necessarily be what the client wants, but it’ll get done anyway.

“We know our clients. Speed leads the retail market. Every day they’re not open is costing them revenue. We bring that speed to our clients, but never at the cost of quality of what they want. This approach has brought us a massive amount of repeat clients, who know full well that while some may sway, BRR Architecture absolutely will be there tomorrow.” ALT

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