APPLEGREEN STURBRIDGE
MIRACLES DO HAPPEN
When the Dublin, Ireland based fuel/c-store giant looked to develop its first travel plaza format location, it called on Upland Architects to help. The site was an abandoned Roy Roger’s/ Sbarro location located in Sturbridge, Massachusetts directly accessible off U.S. Route 84, a major connector between Hartford, Connecticut and Central Massachusetts.
THE CHALLENGE
The project was an “existing non-conforming” site that required re-purposing the existing building to maintain a building size that Applegreen required for its business model. Once an existing building survey was completed by Upland, it was discovered that the building was a pre-engineered metal structure with long and low proportions and very simple architectural features typical to 1960. Due to the non-conformity, Upland worked very closely with the town planner, building official, historical commission, and architectural review board to design a building that complied with all the town's regulations while meeting Applegreen's design and operational needs.
THE WORK
The project scope consisted of a complete demolition of the building leaving only the existing steel frame. From there, the building was reconstructed with a new façade and architectural elements that harmonized with the rural characteristics of the town. Modern low maintenance materials were selected. Upland and Applegreen’s Dublin based designers worked closely together to implement design elements that aligned with the Applegreen’s European architecture to achieve a global consistency across both continents.