Longform Stories

Even a seemingly straightforward commercial project can produce an unexpected moment of delight in its design. The construction of a new office for Froehlinger & Robertson needed to perform well for the staff by providing a comfortable place to work and an efficient arrangement of space. The building is also in a prominent position on Route 250, and so we identified an opportunity to design a noticeable and professional presence, and to capture the beautiful views of the Blue Ridge.

In an early session with our clients, a simple piece of folded chipboard opened up our vision for the resulting design of the roof.

The main feature of the building is the sloping room pointing toward the mountains. This roof, as simple as it looks, serves many purposes. It allows the windows to take advantage of the north light, and creates several interesting spaces inside the building. The slope directs drainage to the back of the building, but it also partly shields the view of the parking from the road. And finally, it acts as a visual landmark, a lantern along Route 250 to mark the presence of F&R in the community.

Part of our mission is to design buildings and landscapes that become “good citizens” in our community. This happens by not only meeting the specific concerns of our clients, but also by contributing to the enrichment of the larger community.

Over three and a half decades, our firm has cultivated a design process which responds to the specific landscape, built environment, and social context of each project. This creativity draws from the palette of style, material, texture and landscape in a project’s surroundings and employs them in unique compositions. In this way, we have been able to create clearly modern projects that also fit seamlessly into Charlottesville’s historic neighborhoods.