A dying commercial power center. A vacating anchor tenant at a regional mall, with no options for leasing. A vacant urban property, readying for redevelopment. Wherever there is space that lacks a sense of place and purpose, a solution awaits with Air.
Architecture, Construction & Design Awards 2018
First Award | Category: Pop-Ups and Temporary (Concept)
Architect: Little
Team Members: James Farnell, Design Principal, Retailer Team Lead Jason Loucks, Studio Principal, Developer Team Lead Robert Oppenheimer, Project Design Lead Heather Nifong – Disrupters Haley Ventura – Technology Amy Quarrick – Benchmarks Daniel McBride – Modularity, Flexibility & Scalability Natasha Edwards – Placemaking Hybridity Lourdes del Mar Cruz-Hidalgo – Demographics Nicole Rehfuss – Craft, Philanthropy & Anthropology in the Community Nicole Hubacher – Sustainability Joyce Cherry – Sensory Dawn Vanhine-Carreiro – Collaborations Daniel Montano, Design Principal, Experience Design Nancy Everhart, Project Manager Bruce Barteldt, Retail Practice Leader, Concept and Project Leader Jason Richardson, Brand Communication & Design
Coby Watts, 3D/Animation, Project Manager, Jason Bizarro, 3D/Animation, Creative Direction, Gary Brown, 3D/Animation, Modeling & Animation, Gennadiy Tomin, 3D/Animation, Modeling , Andy Spain, 3D/Animation, Video Editing, Rick Reimer, 3D/Animation, Modeling, Ryan Davis, 3D/Animation, Graphics
Country: United States
A flick of the finger to purchase a 75” TV. Free 2-day delivery. Binge watch an entire season. Instagram moments. Fast Fashion. Next-Gen technology. Our expectations of time and change have become fluid. Trends in-general have become a blur, so much so that we expect (perhaps even demand) freshness in all our experiences. Stores can last a few weeks, or hours. Rapid change has come to retail. Whenever a merchant needs a place to set-up shop for a spell, a solution awaits with Air.
A Concert on the Green. Seasonal Health Fair. Farmer’s Market. Festival in the park. Fourth of July Parade. These ‘Happenings’ are sprinkled across the pages of our life, creating crystal clear memories of special moments. Whenever a unique experience is needed to draw people together to share in its delight, a solution awaits with Air.
Air is a portable Pop-Up park. Both communities and developers can work with Air to set up for a week or six months. While an array of retailers/brands are “built-in,” what makes Air unique is its invitation to local retailers, makers, farmers, entertainers and community groups to breathe life into the experience. Air provides the environment, the kit of parts, the program structure, marketing, management and guidance. The rest is local. In fact, we’ve intentionally left aspects of the concept ‘open-ended’ so that it can be personalized by the local community or neighborhood— the intention being the ever-so-ellusive ‘grit’ that everyone seeks but cannot create.
While the example provided illustrates the occupying of a deserted gas station, Air can go virtually anywhere and is scalable to accommodate a variety of settings. Air’s modularity not only allows for its mobility and ability to conform to different event and merchandising requirements, it can expand or shrink and change shape. Either for regional mall parking lot or the city park, Air creates synergies and a novel new magnet for everyone’s curiosity and enjoyment.
What really sets Air apart from conventional developments is the notion that ‘Happenings’ are the experience — not the retail alone. In fact, create the ‘Happening,’ the customer and therefore the retail will follow.
Air is of our times— fluid and purposeful. Air pulls into town, unpacks a Happening, and brings communities together. Air is a new factor in dynamic living. Air floats along with trends and moves on before it becomes passé. Communities anticipate Air and wave goodbye when it leaves for the next town. Air is an unfolding story in which each neighborhood writes its own unique chapter.
Whenever changes in customer behavior force fundamental shifts in commercial development towards authentic, purpose driven-experiences, a solution awaits with Air.
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