round TWO...

TODAY we had our second design meeting with the new store committee of salvation army. we presented to them our more finalized design for the store along with details regarding the wall and mid floor fixtures. we emphasized the importance of details because they will set this store apart from the current salvation army family stores.

our final plan diagram breaks down all the spaces that have been incorporated into the design. since we have moved forward with scheme 2- we have designed the store by placing the entire sales floor towards the front of the store and the donation center and storage will be placed in the back of the store. this creates a fluid and accessible circulation plan and also emphasizes the importance of the merchandise.

within our store layout- we have broken up the apparel sections into men, women's, and children. the fixtures that will hold the clothes and accessories will be placed along the walls and continue into the middle of the sales floor to delineate space. we have also proposed a drop down ceiling above the circulation pathway from the store's entrance to the cash wrap to emphasize it as a main focal point witin the store. the drop down ceiling will create a transition for the customers to experiecnce once they enter and travel throughout the store. the ceiling will have can recessed lights to illuminate aid in wayfinding but will also have track lights beside it to illuminate the jewelry cases placed beneath it. there are also two area within the women's and men's section to act as a flex display space for multiple pieces of merchandise to be displayed for shorter periods of time. this flex concept will allow for the merchandise to be exchanged out quickly as they store fluxuates with volume of merchandise.

a custom built mid-floor fixture is going to be placed within the men's section of the store to create an addtional display unit for clothing and accessories. the unit will have a clothing rack as well as a shelf above the rack for merchandise but there will also be a table that will extend from the unit to create another focal display for specific merchandise. the fixture will be covered in slats of wood that will extend and then cut off to create the shape of the salvation army sheild [note the black and white line drawing above].
the wall fixtures will also case the merchandise similarly to the mid-floor fixture but will have a smaller application of wood onto its face. track lighting will be placed above the fixture to illuminate the products within the case. we have thought of incorporating color into the space by painting the backdrop to the inside of the cases different colors to allow the merchadise to stqand out.

we presented to the board members at the presentation a WISH LIST for the project-- materials and serives that we are searching for either donations or reduced prices. that way we can save money and be able to put it towards other details in the project.

salvation army were pleased with the design and approved for it to move onto the next phase. so as of now we are on a waiting platform until we hear back from our contractor in regards to the cost estimation from the design. once we have a better idea of how much everything will cost- we then can proceed with more details of the interior and START CONSTRUCTION!