663 South Cooper

663 South Cooper, Memphis, TN 38104 United States

Building Area (sf): 7,444

Completion: April 2019

Architect of Record:

archimania

archimania

• Owner/Client:
• General Contractor: Grinder, Taber & Grinder
• Electrical: Haltom Engineering - mechanical / plumbing
  DePouw Engineering - electrical
  Intertek PSI - geotechnical
  Hydro-Temp - geothermal
  Chris Cosby - landscape
• Engineering:
  
• Other:
  
• Photography:
  firm
  

The project reimagines Middle America’s aging commercial corridor building stock as a conduit for 21st century community building and environmental stewardship.

The project, sited in an urban 3-mile corridor, uses a case study as a proof-of-concept: that incremental changes to connectivity, design and sustainability can be woven together to create an accessible path to connected, carbon neutral, and human-centered districts. By combining subtle shifts in conventional approaches to commercial development and design, the result is a locally authentic, resilient, and accessible site.

The existing site was dominated by impervious paving, surface parking, and derelict vegetation. The removal of twelve parking spaces and central curb cut offered a new, accessible public courtyard for the community and adjacent tenants. The existing brick veneer building offered a great opportunity to create open office space, and the addition of new storefront windows including a full-height opening connects the offices to the surrounding community. The internal courtyard is consistently bound by both new and old structures, producing an outdoor room shared by tenants and the community. Along the South Cooper Streetscape, landscaping, lighting, and urban furniture provide more engaging experiences for the constant flow of pedestrians and cyclists. Across the full width of the courtyard, site stairs of concrete and plate steel provide direct, accessible access from the sidewalk as a welcoming invitation to the courtyard and primary office entrances.

After the first year of operation, net-zero strategies provided more than $9,600 in annual energy savings and forecasts an ROI in 9.7 years. The project proves that the highest levels of performance can be achieved in existing buildings while also being economically viable.