Mark Smith, owner and visionary at Midas of Richmond, has a motto: “cars don’t work without proper care, and neither do communities.” Over the years this building has had many lives—an industrial garage in the early 1900s, a dry cleaner, even a pinball repair shop. Today: it’s a modern community space that happens to fix cars. The fully modernized 5,720-square-foot automotive service center features a garage and administrative space designed to provide total care for cars, trucks, and SUVs; 4,500 square feet is used for administrative office. Baskervill’s multi-disciplinary team worked closely with Mark to make sure that the design preserved as many original, historic details as possible. While the MEP systems are new and made to last, the walls, roof, and most of the interior are original to the building. The design called for restoring historic finishes such as the wood window storefront and other steel windows, while opening up much of the inside for a spacious garage and community center. The careful maintenance of the original building combined with new systems and an open floor plan assure that the space will be reusable time and time again, just as it currently flexes for blood drives, corporate gatherings, and community education.

Recognition
Best Restoration, Historic Richmond Golden Hammer Awards