Project Update: Iron Horse York

We’re excited to have professional photos completed of one of our recent projects: Iron Horse York. This is an industrial-themed bar and restaurant that we provided layout and permit drawings for. If you haven’t stopped in to check it out and you find yourself nearby, be sure to do so! The unique and inviting design was the vision of owner Charlie Elias who also owns Café Fresco in Harrisburg.

Iron Horse features that have been the delight of lots of happy guests are: a pizza over, large group banquet/meeting room, exposed structures, historic belt driven ceiling fans and custom-made tables and banquette seating. M. Saw made the tabletops and banquettes while Salvaging Creativity created the table bases.
The idea for the restaurant’s industrial theme came from York’s industrial roots. Since the Iron Horse first opened, many have enjoyed its delicious food and innovative atmosphere.

Iron Horse

TNWS Amazing Kid’s Club Celebrates Groundbreaking Ceremony

On Friday, April 21st SAAarchitects was proud to be a part of the groundbreaking ceremony for TrueNorth Wellness Services’ Amazing Kid’s Club. The club will offer counseling and therapy services to children in preschool through 21 years of age who are on the autism spectrum. We are honored to support such an impactful and inspirational program.

To design the building, cues were taken from the on-site barn structure, and items from the barn were saved in order to be authentically incorporated. The space will feature 24,000 GSF of new construction and will include 21 therapy rooms, 2 training kitchens, large gross motor skills rooms, an art room, a sensory therapy and relaxation therapy room, and meeting rooms and offices for staff members.

Our firm was able to develop and provide complete interior design services for this project, and in doing so, we got to work closely with the staff to choose the perfect finishes to enhance their therapeutic environment and properly stimulate the children who visit.

To complete this project, we;ve partnered with Holland Construction (GC,) Paragon Engineering Services (MEP,) Durst & Taylor Structural Engineers, and Gordon L. Brown Associates (civil engineers.) We look forward to seeing the beautiful building when it is complete, and to watching TNWS Amazing Kid’s Club as it expands, thrives, and changes lives! Check back for updates.

TrueNorth Groundbreaking Ceremony

Self Storage Trio Dubbed ‘Dream Team’

York-based companies SAAarchitects, Storage Construction, and Storage Asset Management have all worked within the self storage industry along the Eastern Seaboard. The trio continues to team together on some impressive projects, and has thus gotten to know each others’ methods and industry approaches thoroughly. Over the last 15 years, their collaborative accomplishments have birthed an industry team that is able to provide greater benefits to clients than ever before, earning them the title of “Self Storage Dream Team” as dubbed by several current clients.

SAAarchitects is an award-winning architectural firm led by President Mark D. Shermeyer AIA, LEED ® GA and Vice President Danika R. S. Dallam NCARB LEED ® GA. After celebrating a 20-year anniversary milestone this year, the firm has continued to provide complete planning and design services to clientele across Pennsylvania and along the eastern seaboard states, reaching as far south as Florida and as far north as Massachusetts. The company’s portfolio is diverse, and includes 3.1 million square-feet (SF) of self-storage industry projects and over 75 storage facilities. Some of these projects include development of a prototype and signature look for multi-facility developers, conversions of historic structures to self storage that have received preservation awards, and creative solutions of challenging sites or existing structures to maximize net rentable space. All of these projects are approached with a fresh perspective to focus on exceeding clients’ expectations and desired end results.

Storage Asset Management (SAM) is a self-storage focused Third Party Management company owned by Jay Hoke and Alyssa Quill. SAM is also located in York, PA. The company boasts over 50 years of industry experience and over 160 employees at their store, regional, and corporate levels. Together they manage over 75 properties that encompass more than 3.4 million SF of self storage. They work to serve self storage owners throughout the U.S who are looking for additional management assistance, and also assist owners with marketing, revenue management, training, financial reporting, and property management.

Storage Construction is another neighboring York, PA company led by Scott Forry and Rod Lockhard. They provide both general contractor and construction management services primarily for the Mid-Atlantic region exclusively for the self-storage industry. Their team has constructed over 50 self storage facilities in excess of 2 million square feet. Having also owned, managed and operated their own 50-plus facilities over the past 17 years, they are industry experts.

When their services combine, these companies offer an incredible amount of collaborative knowledge to provide a seamless process from start to finish–even for the experienced owner. The team can assist any client from the initial feasibility analysis and design phase through permit approval and construction, followed by ongoing facility marketing and management. There is no doubt that with their combined efforts this “Dream Team” will continue to accomplish great things in the industry, and leave happy clients in their wake.

Dream Team

Penn Center Project Highlight

The former Sears building, originally built in 1964, that sits along business route 22 in Pittsburgh, PA is getting a face-lift. The building totals around 160,000 square feet, and will offer retail spaces as well as self storage. It will be known as the Penn Center East building complex.

The building’s new facade will be made up of cast stone surrounding the store fronts, giving it a fresh and beautiful look. The inside will be steel-framed with masonry infill. The mixed uses offered by the facility’s layout will allow the owner to tailor offerings to changes in market trends and customer needs.

We are proud to pair with CJL Engineering, CEC Engineering and AES Engineering to work on this project, and wish the Penn Center East building complex much success! Check back to see updates as construction on this project as it officially begins through completion.

Penn Center East Complex

Sneak Peek: Roselle Self Storage

Have a sneak peek this week at one of our upcoming projects: Roselle Self Storage. Construction on this beautiful building is set to start soon. The historic building involved was formerly Roselle Paper Company factory, and this project will work to convert it into 130,000 GSF of self-storage space. Care will be taken to preserve the historic Art Deco facades of the building, which will have direct access for the convenience of customers on both it’s front two levels and its rear levels. To complete this project, we are pairing with Storage Construction for construction management, Providence Engineering Corporation for structural engineering, and Paragon Engineering Services for MEP engineering. Check back with us to see the progress we make and, of course, the final photos!

Roselle Self Storage

Susquehanna Logistics Project

Just a quick check-in on an industrial project we have been working on for Susquehanna Logistics. This warehouse project involves the construction of a 423,300 GSF building which will serve as a major distribution center for the Mid-Atlantic.

We worked to provide tenant fit-out services for a two-phase fit-out as well as interior design services for the office area. The project’s timeline was a fast turn-around (as they sometimes are) of just 3 months for the completion of drawings and construction. Once again we partnered with Keystruct Construction who worked as the Design-Build Contractor to accomplish this. Have a sneak peek at a photo below!

CubeSmart Project Partnership

We are currently working on multiple projects in PA, NC, SC, NJ and FL with a national self-storage company named CubeSmart. We look forward to sharing further details about these projects as they develop in the future, and are excited to be a part of them! We were additionally honored by CubeSmart when they recommended us to several new clients along the eastern seaboard. (Referrals from happy clients are one of our very favorite things!)

CubeSmart provides a broad selection of storage units designed to fulfill the needs of their clients, including household, business, and vehicle storage. Many of their facilities also offer special features for customer ease, such as rolling doorways, moving carts, drive-up access, and temperature-control features. Check back for updates on these exciting CubeSmart jobs in our upcoming blog posts.

CubeSmart Facility

SAA Projects Receive ABC Keystone Awards

SAAarchitects’ projects were the recent recipients of 3 ABC Keystone merit and excellence awards. Award-winning architectural projects include our ABC Keystone addition and renovation, Flagger Force Corporate Office renovation, and York Outdoor Country Club’s Bistro on the Green addition.

ABC Keystone’s addition was completed with Kinsley Construction and won an ABC Excellence Award for Community/Public Service Project. Our Flagger Force Project, done in partnership with Keystruct Construction won an ABC Excellence Award for renovation under $1 million. Last but not least, our Bistro on the Green expansion for York Out Door Country Club was completed with Keystruct Construction and won an ABC Merit Award for Commercial Project under $2 million.

These projects were each unique and wonderful experiences for us. Additional details and photographs on each can be found in our blog archives and portfolio.

The awards were given out at the Associated Builders and Contractor’s Keystone Chapter Excellence in Construction gala. We are grateful to everyone who partnered with us to make these projects successful, and are very proud to have been honored in this way.

Project Highlight: Penn Waste York

We recently again partnered with Keystruct Construction and Providence Engineering Corp. to create a Truck Maintenance Facility for Penn Waste of York. The renovations required architectural and structural design to allow modifications which would improve a former Recycling Building to help the company accommodate the relocation of their Truck Maintenance operations. A modern and spacious build was completed by Keystruct. Everyone involved was pleased with the final product, which has allowed for increased efficiency and flexibility for Penn Waste staff. Check out the before and after photos!

Penn Waste Building – Before Photo

Penn Waste Building – After Photo

Project Highlight: Flagger Force Renovation

SAAarchitects recently paired with Keystruct Construction to renovate over 10,000 square feet of a 21,000 square foot facility for Flagger Force’s new Corporate Training Academy and Marketing Department. The company, which has expanded rapidly since its humble beginnings, will now be able to train small, medium, and large groups of workers on their safety-focused practices.
The meeting rooms can comfortably seat 12-100 people.

The new facility also offers a reception desk which sits in front of a custom-built glass wall. Additionally, the building has space for modular work stations, private offices, an open-plan work area, and an IT work room. The relocation will afford staff members the ability to easily travel back and forth between branch locations as Flagger Force continues to grow. As always, we wish the company continued success and are grateful to have helped with this project.