Tampa, FL​

Located prominently on Tampa’s signature Bayshore Boulevard at the northernmost point where it meets the Historic District of Hyde Park, is the small building that houses the Ward Mitchell law offices. The architecture of the existing building, which was built in the 1980’s, was dated and ambiguous considering its important location. This 4,000-sf yearlong project incorporated the complete reconstruction of the interior as well as the addition of a beautiful new exterior. The project allows the building to function much more efficiently and, more importantly, creates a worthy gateway to an important part of Tampa’s history.​

Located on an extremely tight site directly on Bayshore Blvd. where zoning did not allow for an increase in the building footprint, the challenge of this project was to create significant functional improvements for the client without increasing the physical parameters of the building. Equally as important was the requirement to give the building an updated look within the existing footprint while maintaining a character fitting for this gateway location to the Historic District of Hyde Park.

​The site had historically been the location for service stations during an era when the automobile was becoming an important mode of transportation. For Tampa, this location signified the end of residential Bayshore Blvd. as it turned into the commercial edge of downtown at Magnolia and Swann Avenues.​