Harper Auto Wash

The design of the new Harper Auto Wash prototype delivers a luxury customer experience without a luxury construction budget. Set within a compact footprint, the efficient building structure leverages common industrial materials composed & detailed to create a clean, modern architectural solution. On the exterior, corrugated metal siding features a randomized profile & color pattern which floats above a base of exposed concrete block and storefront. The limited material palette is further embellished with a white and gray color striation deployed to invoke a feeling of movement across the building elevation.

The plan is conceived as a simple rectangle with the Wash and Finishing Bays positioned along the lengths of the building. The Coffee Shop and Customer Lounge is centrally located between each Bay and is bracketed with expansive floor to ceiling windows to capture shared daylight & provide unobstructed views to the adjacent wash areas. Staggered acoustic baffles and linear lighting elements reinforce the feeling of movement, drawing inspiration from the “light streak” effect created by the motion of cars captured in photography. Wood slats are incorporated into the interior architecture to draw attention to the Coffee Shop kiosk, as well as to provide a warm, biophilic element for the Customer Lounge.

Designed with restraint, Harper Auto Wash respects the beauty inherent in simple materials, embraces opportunities for daylight & views, and architecturally elevates the typical “car-wash” program.