across the street, we incorporated masonry. However, we needed a “transparent” wall to fulfill the 25% open code criteria.We chose a clay-fired 8” x 8” x 8” solar block in amatching color to the campus king-size brick.The visual andmaterial link ismain- tained between the modified Georgian campus architecture and themodern architecture across the street. We all have been lost in an unfamiliar parking structurewith


We have people, we have cars; and we need to put them away temporarily.


a rental car that we cannot remember. Visual orientation and memorable visual queues are crucial to navigation within park- ing structures. We purposely chose to place the elevator on the destination


side – by the Chesapeake campus, in this case – with a window so that visitors could visually connect the garage and their desti- nation. It also adds a bit of charm and fun to the experience. Stairs are adjacent to the elevator, if one prefers to walk. Having said that, the stairs offer another opportunity to


improve the experience while being useful as well.We elected to add the same colored fluorescent lighting in the stairwells to empha- size the color / level connection and a fun atmospheric journey. In an effort to reinvent the parking garage, we considered


hiding the cars from view to passersby.We incorporated a 48”- tall concrete bumper wall at the outer edge of each level to block the view of the vehicle from outside. Our belief is that we could


Themetal screen exterior with four foot outriggers that provide linear shadows hinting at the use of the facility.


change the preconceived image of a parking structure into a handsome, artistic architecture that becomes an asset and a recruiting tool for new employees. Landscaping is an important aspect of any project and


especially parking structures. The scale required that the build- ing be softened and humanized as it integrates into the campus environment. Everyone walks from building to building, so trees and seasonal color add to a positive experience. Since this facility serves a corporate campus, visitors are


here each day. We wanted to make the place an experience worth remembering. Greeted with “Welcome Back” or “Have a Great Day,” the experience begins immediately.All interior sur- faces are painted white and the clear height is 10’ – 6”. Color- coded levels are defined with bold graphics, and colored fluo- rescent lighting visually reinforces the level. Finally, the surprise is a full height 13’-wide lighted atrium


that contributes to air circulation and contains a light sculpture using the four floor-level colors. It is hard to forget the floor you parked on. Mission accomplished. Parking as art.


Rand Elliott is founder of Elliott and Associates. Contact him at relliott@e-a-a.com. The project team included Chesapeake Energy Corp.: Aubrey McClendon, Dan LeDonne; Rand Elliott, FAIA; Bill Yen, AIA; Miho Kolliopoulos, AIA; John Creach, Assoc. AIA; and Walker Parking Consultants.


Colored lighting instantly tells drivers the color code of the floor on which they parked.


For more information, go to www.e-a-a.com; or for information on the design wire mesh, go to www.weavingideas.net. Photography: Scott McDonald © Hedrich Blessing


PT MARCH 2009 • PARKING TODAY • www.parkingtoday.com 23


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