Springfield, Missouri, USA

Dake | Wells architectural firm was appointed by The Sagamore Hill Development to design a new strip mall in Springfield, Missouri, and they decided to break the rules and create a totally different retail center.

The Sunshine and National Retail Center won the 2020 American Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.

The Sunshine and National Retail Center is located at one of the city’s busiest intersections. this project reconsiders strip mall stereotypes. By pulling the buildings to the street with parking in the back, the center eschews the typical “wild west facade,” allowing entry from multiple sides.

Although the center acknowledges the significance of automobiles, it works to strengthen the pedestrian experience by creating a walkable environment for the adjacent neighborhood.

The center consists of three smaller buildings than typical, reducing the overall mass of the development while providing added green space and improved stormwater quality.

Inspired by the houses in the neighborhood, natural slate clads the center, while a sculptural brick screen wall pays homage to the brick masons of old through extensive corbelling to achieve a faceted wall that identifying the development. In contrast to the typical pylon sign, the wall creates a void space framing the sky by day and offering colored light by night.

Project: Sunshine and National Retail Center

Architect: Dake | Wells Architecture
Client: The Sagamore Hill Development
General Contractor: Branco Enterprises
Structural Engineers: J&M Engineering LLC.
Photographers: Gayle Babcock, Architectural Imageworks, LLC.