THINKING OUTSIDE THE (BIG) BOX How renovations and crafted outdoor space revitalize urban spaces. BY CHRIS M. BARIBEAU
TIM HURSLEY
The Co-op’s main entry and outdoor space.
PROJECT CREDITS Modus Studio: Chris Baribeau AIA, Principal Architect Leanne Baribeau AIA, Project Architect Blair Begnaud, Designer Suzana Annable AIA, Designer Contractor: Nabholz MEPFP: Engineering Elements Structural: Tatum Smith Welcher Engineers Landscape Architecture: Flintlock Civil: Bates & Associates Branding: BLKBOX Owner: Ozark Natural Foods Mike Anzalone, General Manager 20 | BLOCK, STREET & BUILDING VOLUME 8 | 2022
I
t is fair to say that big box buildings are the American architectural blight of the second half of the 20th century. While an increasingly automobile-centric society needed more expansive places to store goods for a growing population, the big box is less of a store in a traditional human scale and more of a warehouse for direct transactional purposes. Architecturally, these boxes are an expression of little more than pure function. This may have suited the American psyche for decades, but post-pandemic (and pre- for that matter), there is an increased desire for more authentic, in-person experiences and transactions. This shift informs design requirements in the world we are building today.
