Revitalizing Retail with Thin Brick and Thin Stone

Refurbishing older buildings challenges contractors and owners alike. Contractors seek out feasible solutions to address multiple client needs that include budget, schedule and aesthetic requirements. Retail and hospitality businesses, in particular, push to minimize downtime for their businesses and maximize the upgrade within budget. We’re sharing a few success stories of commercial renovations that utilized General Shale Thin Brick and Arriscraft Thin Stone with tremendous results!

Hilton Garden Inn – Knoxville, TN

Owners of a 50 year old hotel set out to renovate their property to become a Hilton Garden Inn, in Knoxville, TN. Their ambitious design vision required revitalizing the old stucco exterior with brick, in part to complement the look of nearby University of Tennessee buildings. Unfortunately, structural engineers determined that the building – situated on a subterranean parking garage – could not support the weight of full bed masonry.

General Shale Thin Brick was the perfect solution; our thin brick is real brick, cut thin, so the finished look is exactly like that of full-bed brick. The hotel owners were able to get the look they wanted without adding any additional weight. This video tells the story of this winning solution!

Pinecrest Retail Plaza – Southern Pines, NC

Built in the 1980s, the dated Pinecrest Plaza featured a tired exterior in need of repair that did not reflect the thriving community of Southern Pines, North Carolina. The design team recommended replacing the painted brick look with natural stone material, consistent lighting and other design elements to elevate the building’s façade. Overall, an upscale look and feel was required to boost the plaza’s image and to belong in this desirable golf community.

New exterior cladding needed to be installed over existing material and there were several different retail stores to resurface (with a variety of aging exteriors). Everyone involved agreed that one continuous exterior finish would boost the image of the entire plaza.

Working with Arriscraft, the team selected ARRIS.tile Renaissance® thin stone, which was simply adhered right over the old, existing walls using with the Laticrete MVIS System. Once complete, the ARRIS.tile walls gave the high-end appearance of natural, full-bed stone. And, the simple and relatively quick installation meant there was no need for expensive and heavily destructive demolition work – a real savings for the owner in terms of time and money!

Bailey’s Fine Jewelry – Raleigh, NC

Known for its commitment to quality and superior customer service, Bailey’s has sought to strategically upgrade its various locations on a regular basis. A major renovation involved upgrading Bailey’s 11,000 square foot Cameron Village flagship location, part of a plaza that was built in the late 1970s. Over time, the exterior became dated and worn, and the owners sought a new exterior that would deliver a high-end impression and also last for decades.

“Bailey’s has always catered to an upscale clientele,” stated Michael Beal, Architectural Sales Manager for Arriscraft. “This location’s exterior clearly seemed to look outdated and frankly, more than just a bit run down. The stucco finish flanked by decorative columns did not seem to be inviting any more.”

Arriscraft, the owner, general contractor and masonry contractor all worked together to find a high quality solution that would deliver the facelift the building needed. The first step was to tear off the old stucco façade and then frame the building’s exterior, getting it ready for an updated building envelope system that included an air and water cavity to protect the structure from extreme weather conditions. Once framed and ready to go, Arriscraft’s ARRIS.tile Renaissance® thin masonry units were installed.

Arriscraft can color match its cast accessories to any of its Renaissance® colors. So customers, like Bailey’s, can match ARRIS.cast cast stone (either custom accessories or standard cast shapes) to other Arriscraft stone on their building. The ability to color match arches, sils, columns and more allows designers to deliver seamless, fully coordinated exteriors.

Learn more about Arriscraft’s Thin Clad stone products and browse General Shale’s Thin Brick selection. These high performance, thin masonry products can deliver great results on your renovation project too! Contact your dealer today.