The drive west on Ivy Road is nothing out of the ordinary: shopping malls, few restaurants, residences and university apartments. The architecture is traditional, Victorian at times. But at the intersection with Old Ivy Road, the landscape is about to change dramatically. Where the University Car Wash once stood, a new, state-of-the-art facility will be completed in early fall. The new car wash, designed by Bushman Dreyfus Architects, is nothing short of futuristic.
Two long Plexiglas tunnels stretch horizontally along the adjacent train tracks, hugging the vehicles as they enter, locked in.
“People seem to like it when they are able to walk on the side while their car is getting washed,” says Architect Jeff Dreyfus. The design idea, he says, was shaped by people’s interest in looking at how things work. “[The design] is a little bit driven by the function of a car wash, of issues of security and safety when being in a big tunnel, which explains why the translucent and clear panels,” he says.
The owners, who also own and manage the Clean Machine Car Wash in Pantops, say they are excited about the project and think the Charlottesville community will enjoy the design.
Bushman Dreyfus is no stranger to sleek, contemporary design. See their City Center for Contemporary Arts, better known as the Live Arts building. The firm also contributed to the Downtown Mall’s diverse look: Splendora’s Gelato Café and the Paramount Theater bear their designs. At UVA, the firm designed the Arts Grounds Garage.
Most importantly, however, says Dreyfus, the design corresponds directly to the materials that will be used in the project. “We felt that instead of bowing to red brick and white columns, which don’t seem to be appropriate in that location … let’s build something that is more of today, material wise and design wise,” says Dreyfus. “That was the main genesis of it, using materials that are appropriate for this use.” The materials in question: Plexiglass, steel and metal panels made from sustainable processes, says Dreyfus.
Moreover, the car wash equipment is energy efficient harvesting and recycling water.
But the green aspect of the design didn’t come without challenges. “I think the real challenge came in thinking about the details and how much water is being used,” says Dreyfus. Another “huge” challenge was bureaucracy. “It’s a relatively complex site. It’s on the border between the city and the county and there are state roads, city roads and county roads,” he says. “But it was all worked through.”
The start of construction on the new car wash is within a couple of weeks and the completion date is estimated for this fall.
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