HOSE INFLUENCES are evident. The building, com-pleted
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WBM march 2018
in 2017, looks and feels like an oversized beach
house.
“We asked ourselves, ‘How do we take this two-story,
25,000-square-foot building in front of these residences
and make them feel connected?’” Loudermilk says.
“That’s why we put the cedar siding, the porches, the metal roof,
the cupola, to make it feel residential. We said, ‘Remember what
we saw at Bald Head?’ That’s what we were trying to create here.
We wanted to make it feel like it was a gateway to a residential
area.”
The emphasis on tying it to the residential area made it a per-fect
fit for Sea Coast Advantage, which was looking for a larger
building to house agents and its corporate headquarters.
“The design is a great fit for us,” president Tim Milam says.
“It’s bright and welcoming and has a warm coastal theme that
runs throughout the space.”
The outside shell was finished when Sea Coast Advantage came
on board. Loudermilk had roughed in an interior design that
included multiple tenants. But the real estate company took over
about 18,000 square feet of the building.
We had to design it for flexibility,” Loudermilk says. “The
buildings originally were designed with hallways with offices on
either side for different tenants. We didn’t anticipate Sea Coast
would rent 75 percent of the building. It helped them to feel like
they are in a neighborhood.”
The interior, including horizontal nickel-gap-depth wood
siding, was designed to convey a homey atmosphere,
with a residential staircase and comfortable sitting areas.
Workspaces include a spacious conference room.
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buildings of distinction