Launch Slideshow

Architect Rob Paulus and his team transformed this old auto-repair building into offices for Rob Paulus Architects. They created two separate 2,000-square-foot suites one for the 15-member architecture firm and a similar suite for a tenant.

Rise and Shine

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Rise and Shine

  • Before

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpF7DD%2Etmp_tcm17-612422.jpg

    Before

    600

    Liam Frederick

    Before

  • Architect Rob Paulus and his team transformed this old auto-repair building into offices for Rob Paulus Architects. They created two separate 2,000-square-foot suites one for the 15-member architecture firm and a similar suite for a tenant.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpF7DE%2Etmp_tcm17-612430.jpg

    Architect Rob Paulus and his team transformed this old auto-repair building into offices for Rob Paulus Architects. They created two separate 2,000-square-foot suites one for the 15-member architecture firm and a similar suite for a tenant.

    600

    Liam Frederick

    Architect Rob Paulus and his team transformed this old auto-repair building into offices for Rob Paulus Architects. They created two separate 2,000-square-foot suites one for the 15-member architecture firm and a similar suite for a tenant.

  • The most striking feature inside the architecture office is an undulating ceiling made of pieces of -inch plywood. Paulus says that his violin served as inspiration for the ceiling. The curved structure increases the surface area, which makes the space feel bigger.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpF7DF%2Etmp_tcm17-612438.jpg

    The most striking feature inside the architecture office is an undulating ceiling made of pieces of -inch plywood. Paulus says that his violin served as inspiration for the ceiling. The curved structure increases the surface area, which makes the space feel bigger.

    600

    Liam Frederick

    The most striking feature inside the architecture office is an undulating ceiling made of pieces of 1/4-inch thick plywood. Paulus says that his violin served as inspiration for the ceiling. The curved structure increases the surface area, which makes the space feel bigger.

  • Contractor Ted Kline and his crew stripped the original structure to the steel frame, then wrapped it with a thermal barrier and installed 7 inches of expanded polystyrene. The exterior is made of an aluminum skin that floats free from the base to allow for air circulation.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpF7E0%2Etmp_tcm17-612446.jpg

    Contractor Ted Kline and his crew stripped the original structure to the steel frame, then wrapped it with a thermal barrier and installed 7 inches of expanded polystyrene. The exterior is made of an aluminum skin that floats free from the base to allow for air circulation.

    600

    Liam Frederick

    Contractor Ted Kline and his crew stripped the original structure to the steel frame, then wrapped it with a thermal barrier and installed 7 inches of expanded polystyrene. The exterior is made of an aluminum skin that floats free from the base to allow for air circulation.

  • The designers kept the size of the original garage bay openings but replaced them with fixed windows and tall doors.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpF7E1%2Etmp_tcm17-612454.jpg

    The designers kept the size of the original garage bay openings but replaced them with fixed windows and tall doors.

    600

    Liam Frederick

    The designers kept the size of the original garage bay openings but replaced them with fixed windows and tall doors.

  • The designers found uses for the construction debris from the project in the landscape and the buildings exterior: the roll-up garage doors became fencing, broken concrete pieces were used for paving walkways, and steel beams were used to create steps.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpF7E2%2Etmp_tcm17-612462.jpg

    The designers found uses for the construction debris from the project in the landscape and the buildings exterior: the roll-up garage doors became fencing, broken concrete pieces were used for paving walkways, and steel beams were used to create steps.

    600

    Liam Frederick

    The designers found uses for the construction debris from the project in the landscape and the buildings exterior: the roll-up garage doors became fencing, broken concrete pieces were used for paving walkways, and steel beams were used to create steps.

Location: Tucson, Ariz.

Contractor: Ted Kline, Mega Trend, Tucson

Designer: Rob Paulus, Rob Paulus Architects, Tucson

Keeping the original garage bay openings for a more cost-effective renovation, architect Rob Paulus transformed this auto repair shop into an office space for his firm, Rob Paulus Architects, and also included space for a tenant.

Paulus, who lives in the neighborhood, purchased the 4,200-square-foot building because he saw its potential. For this project, as with projects for clients, Paulus and his team aim to provide the best possible design value. “We try to marry fun and function with the right design team and achieve a lot, and do so with a lower budget,” he says.

One of the project’s most striking features, and an example of the company’s design-value proposition, is the undulating ceiling. Paulus plays the violin and was inspired by the instrument’s curves. The wood slat ceiling is made of 3-inch-wide pieces of ¼-inch-thick plywood. “The curved ceiling increased the surface area the eye sees so it makes the space feel bigger,” Paulus says.

The architect first consulted with a cabinetmaker to figure out how to create the intricate curves, then turned to builder Ted Kline to build the structure. “Ted and his crew ran with it. They were emotionally attached to it and it became an art project for them,” Paulus says.

The judges enjoyed how the ceiling offers an “element of surprise” within the building’s box structure. “It’s very simple yet sophisticated,” said one judge.

The project also includes energy-efficient and green features such as its heavily-insulated metal structure, a 3,000-gallon underground rainwater tank, and beams and landscape elements salvaged from the original structure and incorporated into the remodeled building.

—Nina Patel, senior editor, REMODELING.