Coldwell Banker – Irmo

Located near a major intersection in downtown Irmo, a suburb of Columbia, this 11,800 sf office building serves as the new home for Coldwell Banker, United Realtors. The two main corners of the site contain the first and second floor lobbies and conference rooms – extensive use of glass in these corners created features that fulfilled the company’s desire for a street presence. Coldwell’s midtown office in Columbia was newly renovated when the Irmo project was underway in 2008, and materials for the new building in Irmo were selected to reference the beige masonry palate of the Columbia office. Subtle shifts in brick scale and color within this palate create two building volumes, and the interplay between these volumes increases the interest and drama of the main façade. All aspects of the building incorporate sustainable design principles: a previously developed property was selected as the site, energy-efficient glazing and solar heat-reducing sunshades minimize heat penetration to the interior, extensive glass features provide daylight to the interior and views of the outdoors for building occupants, and energy-saving lighting controls minimize electricity use.