Ganahl Interiors

Los Alamitos, CA

Ganahl Lumber’s Los Alamitos location, the company’s second highest grossing store, needed an update. The existing tilt-up concrete structure, built in 1998, no longer adequately represented Ganahl’s brand nor met its spatial needs. Because expansion on the crowded site was not an option, the architect’s challenge was two-fold: to fit a greater amount of merchandise into the existing square footage and, at the same time, to create a greater sense of volume and light and a better overall consumer experience.

The renovation in the occupied and fully operational store required a Rubik’s cube of construction with 15 phases over 14-16 months. The redesign created a layout that more efficiently organized Ganahl’s product, getting much more out of the same concrete shell. Opening up the ceilings in the sales offices increased height and volume in the space while the addition of five new punched windows provided more natural light and views to the outside from the sales floor.

Fresh finishes and materials including the thoughtful use of woods, reclaimed oak on the front desk, and a distinctive red and grey palette, reflect Ganahl’s brand vocabulary. A comprehensive new graphics program was designed around Ganahl’s rich history in the South Bay and Orange County. Vintage photos of the surrounding communities, found in Ganahl’s archives as well as the historical museum, enliven the store and administrative area with a unique sense of place and time. As part of their scope of work, the interior design team established photography and graphic standards for the company.

The exterior renovation created a layered, contemporary facade with planes of color and a bold entrance canopy featuring ipe hardwood and a cedar trellis. New landscaping completes the exterior design while the redesigned parking lot adds much needed additional spaces.