Self-Storage Association Conference and Trade Show

All of the details from this amazing event:

We recently returned from the Self-Storage Association Conference in Orlando, Florida where we hosted a booth and had the privilege of hearing Astronaut Captain Mark Kelly speak.

Mark is the husband of Senator Gabby Giffords, who was shot during a constituent meeting and overcame many obstacles to recover from wounds that almost killed her.

A key takeaway

His speech was incredibly inspirational! One of our very favorite takeaways was this quote: “How good you are at the beginning of something is not an indicator of how good you can become.” What an important reminder!

We love self-storage!

One goal of attending the conference was to discuss our broad self-storage facility experience. We are proud to have such in-depth knowledge of this industry niche! If you have self-storage facility architectural needs, contact us at any time!

Our booth, and presenter Mark Kelly

Project Update: Penn Center East Complex

Our Penn Center East Complex project is nearing completion! The building, which was once a Sears, was built in 1964 and is comprised of 160,000 square feet of space. The transformation it has been undergoing is amazing, and the finished project will offer both retail and self-storage spaces to clients. It is fully anticipated that construction will finish and occupancy will take place in mid-to-late January 2018.

We have partnered with CJL Engineering, CEC Engineering and AES engineering to work on this job and are getting very excited to see the final project so soon!

Penn Center East

The Eldorado Project

The Eldorado Project recently celebrate its completion during a ribbon cutting ceremony. This project was constructed by Conewago Enterprises, Inc. for owner Atapco Properties and their tenant Eldorado Stone, LLC. The 432,000 SF building was constructed with tile-up concrete panels and a super steel structure. The large facility will be used by Eldorado Stone to both manufacture and warehouse/ship their products.

The interior of the building hosts three assembly lines that will produce the stone products as well as a large batch plant that is built both inside and outside the facility that will process the raw material. The building also hosts three large curing rooms to dry the products in a controlled environment and a spacious research and testing department. See our project rendering below. We wish the Eldorado Project wonderful success!

The Eldorado Project

Project Highlight: All-Time Self Storage

We love self storage projects! Our latest self storage venture involved the design and building of a new All-Time Self Storage facility at Ridge and Kline in Royersford, PA.
The images featured below were captured by Storage Construction. They use drones to take photos of the project’s progress and also to more thoroughly inspect the building in places that would be difficult to stand. At this time, the first floor levels are in place and the construction of the second floor is well underway.
The completed facility will feature masonry touches, fiber-cement and metal exterior paneling, and a decorative cornice, giving the building a unique, retail-style look.
We look forward to sharing the finished product with you! Check back soon for updates.

All-Time Self Storage
Royersford, PA

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Project update: Penn Center East

Our Penn Center East project is coming along nicely! This 160,000 square foot former Sears building, which was originally built in 1964, is undergoing a transformation. The building will be known as Penn Center East complex and will offer a combination of retail and self-storage spaces.

We have paired with CJL Engineering, CEC Engineering and AES Engineering for this project. The demolition has now been completed, and steel infills and interior stud framing are in process. In addition, the utilities are now being installed. Have a peek at the progress, and our final vision rendering.

Penn Center East

Project Highlight: Cumberland County Warehouse Redevelopment

Cumberland Valley Warehouse Development

The demolition and reconstruction work of another great project has begun! The building involved is a 450,000 square foot former Quaker Oats manufacturing and distribution facility in Shiremanstown (Camp Hill) on Saint Johns Church Road. It was originally built in 1954 and expanded following a 1977 addition. The warehouse building will be replaced with a smaller and more modern one.

During this renovation, half of the current building will be painted and refurbished while the other half (the original 1954 piece) will have walls removed and the structure redesigned to raise the building’s height and meet current warehouse requirements. In addition, a large part of the building will be demolished to form a parking lot and loading dock area.

The existing building features a load bearing brick and steel structure, and the renovated building will be comprised of a precast concrete wall and steel structure.

The warehouse property was purchased by an affiliate of Endurance Real Estate Group LLC through a joint venture with CenterSquare Investment Manager. Endurance reported that leasing opportunities for the project would range from 100,000 square feet to the entire building.

To complete this new venture, we have partnered with design builder Keystruct Construction, structural engineers Providence Engineering Corporation, mechanical designer and subcontractor R.A. Walton & Co., Inc., electrical designer and subcontractor DeRock Electric Company, and fire protection designer and subcontractor Sentry Fire Protection, Inc. The job is projected to complete April of 2018, and the new warehouse is expected to finish by next July. Stay tuned for updates and additional photos!

Union House Project Receives Enterprise Green Communities Certification

We are proud to announce that our Union House project in Lykens, PA has received final certification from Enterprise Green Communities! This certification demonstrates our commitment to providing high-performance, healthy homes.

James Moriarty, Vice President of Sustainable Comfort, Inc. noted, “Congratulations on a successful project, this is certainly one of the hardest projects in terms of conflicting requirements we have been a part of. Appreciate all your hard work, and everybody on the team for making this a success.” The challenges mentioned stemmed from PHFA Funding and NPS Historic Tax Credits, but despite navigating these difficulties, our team was successful!

Union House Apartments, Israel Building

Union House Hotel

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