Storefront Reuse

Team

Weavers Way Community Programs and Ogantz Avenue Revitalization Corporatoin
Agoos/Lovera Architects

Context

Mount Airy-based Weavers Way, a member-supported cooperative market, was given the opportunity to lease a two-story storefront building in West Oak Lane as a pilot location for a new network of small "satellite" co-ops.

Site

A storefront building with only 700 square feet of ground floor space, located next to a vacant corner lot on a prominent five-way intersection at the heart of West Oak Lane.

Challenge

To rebrand a typical, small-footprint storefront building into a fresh food alternative and create a community anchor.

Design

The design team's goals were to maximize the use of the existing storefront building and to expand square footage and programming possibilities through the development of the site's adjacent vacant lot. The team proposed a phased plan for growth, with each phase building upon the previous and responding to increased community support.

The design allows for a number of inventive features, including a security grille of perforated metal panels that folds out into a combination open-air produce stand, community bulletin board and overhead canopy during business hours.