Red Mountain Bikes
Creating a building as dynamic as the client’s business model was a challenge worth chasing. The goal was to have a portion of the store and repair shop available around the downtown area to fix broken bikes, move inventory, promote cycling culture, and establish a presence in the community as well as regional events. As the hub resides on a stationary site alongside Birmingham’s newest biking trail in an effort to reinforce the spine of activity along First Avenue South and act as a checkpoint along the trail system, thus equipped to meet the needs of cyclists in the city, the mobile unit is designed to break away from the building and travel to cyclists around the city in order to provide the same optimal customer service. Related in design, the mobile unit began to influence the design of the stationary hub by coupling with the floor of the shop so that when the truck is docked it extends the service floor, providing an efficient system of repair and return to the client. Because of the heightened elevation of the landing to accommodate the mobile unit, large ramps allow for access to the sales floor, enabling cyclist traffic to ride right up to the rotating pedal-powered front doors. The building itself utilizes sustainable passive strategies including xeriscaping, bioswales, shading techniques, and rain water harvesting. Strategically designed, Red Mountain Bikes would serve as a dynamic innovation to our city and surrounding communities.