Taylors Fire & Sewer District Breaks Ground on New Fire Headquarters

On Tuesday, September 12, 2023 the Taylors Fire and Sewer District held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new fire department headquarters. The ceremony took place at 463 W. Main St. in Taylors, where the new fire department will be built. Fire Chief Bobby Baker, Commissioner Chairman Jeff Hannah, Chris Bowen with Hogan Construction, and Mike Pry with DP3 Architects all gave remarks during the ceremony.

Established in 1958 as a Special Purpose District, Taylors Fire serves a large area that includes a variety of industrial, business, church, school, and residential development. Creating a new headquarters for this growing area of Greenville County will address the facility design needs for the fire department and serve as a beacon of safety and security to the community.

Located at the intersection of a major highway and main street leading to downtown, this new building will serve as a gateway to Taylors, SC. Architectural forms and materials will be reminiscent of the Historic Southern Bleachery Mill, originally constructed in 1924, and the Enoree River train trestle which carried the first Southern Railway tracks from Charlotte to Greenville constructed in 1873. Both have strong ties to the history of this community and are still in use today.

The new 23,050-square-foot fire headquarters will contain administrative offices, a community meeting/training room, three drive-thru apparatus bays and 1 back-in bay, along with firefighter living and work areas. The new campus also includes a new 4,450-square-foot fleet maintenance building servicing apparatus for the entire department.

DP3 Architects is privileged to design facilities that serve local first responders and communities. We look forward to working with the team at Hogan Construction on the Taylors Fire & Rescue Headquarters through the remainder of the design process and through to construction.

Click HERE to learn more about the new Taylors Fire Headquarters.

The City of Rock Hill Announces McGirt Auditorium Renovations

On September 12, 2023, the City of Rock Hill held a ceremony to announce renovation plans for McGirt Auditorium at Emmett Scott Recreation Center.  Mayor John Gettys and City Councilmembers Derrick Lindsay and Perry Sutton spoke about the facility’s history, and its impact on the community. City officials and community members demolished a pre-made brick wall in front of the auditorium in honor of the renovations to come.

Prior to being a recreation center, the facility was the first public school for African Americans in Rock Hill.  In 1960, the Emmett Scott School opened McGirt Auditorium which was used for homecomings, pageants, student assemblies and performances.  The Emmett Scott School was closed when South Carolina schools were desegregated in 1970 and became a recreation center. The center and auditorium have been a place for neighborhood connection ever since. The renovated auditorium will provide a new, modern space for events and conferences, cultural performances, reunions, competitions, and more.

The renovation will consist of updating the existing lobby, restrooms, stage area, stage lights, the sound system, curtains, and dressing rooms. Additional work will include renovation of the existing courtyard with new exterior canopies and landscaping.

DP3 Architects is privileged to design facilities that serve local communities. We look forward to working with The City of Rock Hill on the McGirt Auditorium renovation through the remainder of the design process and throughout construction.

Reidville Area Fire Station Wins Design Award

DP3 Architects is pleased to announce that the Reidville Fire Station received the 2022 Building of the Year Award as part of Metallic Building Systems 2022 Design Build Awards. Every year, Metallic recognizes excellent projects that feature their state-of-the-art metal building frame systems.

The design team at DP3 Architects worked closely with the Reidville community and department to create a design that would reflect the rural landscape and complement similar buildings in the area. The side wings of the building are skinned in metal roof and wall panels to match the apparatus bay, giving a unified look to the building. The design team chose durable materials and colors to minimize maintenance costs for the department while ensuring maximum efficiency and comfort.

Special thanks to the Reidville Area Fire Department, Roebuck Building Company, DeVita & Associates, and SeamonWhiteside+ for their partnership in bringing this project to reality.

Interior Design Material Boards

Design projects rely heavily on visual tools that illustrate the project’s overall mood and tone. Material boards, or flat lays, are one of the tools designers at DP3 Architects use to hone their visual ideas and convey the look and feel of a space to our clients.

By definition, a material board is an assemblage of colors, textures, prints, materials, or other design elements that evoke the style of a project. These elements may contain samples of; furniture and upholstery fabrics, woods, tiles, metals, stones, and wall coverings that are gathered during the design process and conceptualization stage and serve as inspiration for what the project will look like. Material boards can not only speak to the visual elements of a project, but also the ambiance the designer wants to create. Selecting finishes for a project is more than just finding a color scheme – it’s about selecting materials that will improve the quality of the space and enhance the user’s experience.

Take a look at our curated Pinterest board to get inspiration for your next project.

Simpsonville Breaks Ground on New Municipal Complex

The new municipal complex for the City of Simpsonville was celebrated with a groundbreaking ceremony at City Park on Thursday, February 23rd. Mayor Shewmaker described the occasion as “historic” and a symbol of progress and vitality in the community. The complex, which includes a 27,142 sq. ft. City Hall, police department, court building, and a 19,145 sq. ft. fire department headquarters, is being built to accommodate the City’s growth and will also feature a reimagined City Park. The mayor expressed his pride in the state-of-the-art designs and the functional and aesthetic suitability of the buildings. The new municipal complex and renovated park will be a source of pride and essential resources for the community for decades to come and DP3 Architects is proud to partner with the City on this initiative. The project is expected to be completed by fall 2024.

DP3 Architects Hosts Clemson University Grad Students

DP3 Architects was pleased to welcome graduate students from the Clemson University School of Architecture during their annual Greenville Firm Crawl. This program is sponsored by Graduate Architecture Professional Partnership (GAPP), a student-led organization which seeks to bridge the gap between education and practice in the field of architecture.

Firm crawls like this one can help students visualize what a day in the life might be like for a working architect and find their best fit for an internship or job post-graduation. Principals Brian Thomas and Ben Urueta talked about the firm’s philosophy towards design, collaboration, and office culture. Students also had the chance to tour the office and see some of the architects in action. DP3 Architects was inspired by their enthusiasm and look forward to seeing how they grow within the field.

DP3 Architects Holiday Food Drive

One in six of our South Carolina neighbors, including over 100,000 children, face hunger daily. Food banks like Harvest Hope help to chip away at that statistic by collecting and distributing nutritious food to food pantries, churches, shelters, and soup kitchens across the state. DP3 Architects hosted a holiday food drive to help the cause and provide meals to struggling families in our community.

Harvest Hope is on a mission to eliminate hunger and food insecurity in South Carolina. They are South Carolina’s largest food bank, providing food for organizations across the state who serve families in need, with special allocations for our most vulnerable residents, including children, seniors, and people in rural areas without access to grocery stores.

If you or your organization would like to donate to Harvest Hope or host your own food drive, information about how to get started can be found, HERE.

Consumer Picks Report 2022: Bahama Breeze

Nation’s Restaurant News released their 2022 Consumer Picks report on the 11 restaurants with the best ambiance.  Ambiance ties the cuisine, service, and space together to shape the overall dining experience and perception of a restaurant.

DP3 Architects client, Bahama Breeze, made this list, with 73% of consumers rating the brand “above average” or “best in class” in the ambiance category.

DP3 Architects had the pleasure of designing a new, 6,500-square-foot prototype for the Darden Restaurants operated chain. The design captures the essence of the brand, incorporating vibrant materials, finishes, and unique character that create a tropical island atmosphere. As soon as you walk through the doors, you feel a million miles away from home. From the main dining room to the custom bar and patio area, every inch of these restaurants waares thoughtfully crafted with guests and team members in mind.

To read the article and see the other restaurants that made the cut, click HERE.

2022 United Way Campaign

DP3 Architects partnered with United Way of Greenville for its annual giving campaign. For one hundred years, United Way has remained committed to helping people live better, safer, and more successful lives. They rely on local organizations like DP3 Architects to contribute their time, voice, and dollars to grow a stronger Greenville.

In a celebration fit for United Way of Greenville’s 100th anniversary, DP3 Architects held its first Office Olympics! The entire team harnessed their competitive sides as they went head-to-head for mental gymnastics, put their paper airplane construction skills to the test, and worked against the clock to build the tallest marshmallow spaghetti tower.

As a firm that lives and works in the Greenville community, DP3 Architects is honored to partner with organizations that help the firm embody its core values of People | Places | Purpose. Learn more about United Way of Greenville’s mission and find out how you can give back HERE.