Sheetz Opens ‘Landmark’ Operations Center
ALTOONA, Pa. — Although the saying goes things are "bigger and better in Texas," Sheetz Inc. is proving this moniker is just as true in Pennsylvania.
The convenience store operator opened the doors to its newest 115,000-square-foot headquarters and operations center located on the Sheetz corporate campus midway between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, Pa. The site features test kitchens, dining pavilion, training rooms and an adjacent 13,000-square-foot daycare center.
"Sheetz is a rapidly growing company that cares about its employees, which is why its consistently named among Fortune’s Best Places to Work," said Gary Lapera, FAIA, principal of CDI Studio One, the architecture division of L.R. Kimball, which designed the facility.
"In the design of this building, fluidity was the key conceptual driver. From a highly flexible workplace that can morph with dynamic growth to a building perimeter that obscures the boundary between inside and outside, this project will continue to evolve with the Sheetz upward trajectory," he added.
Inside the building, the first floor has test kitchens and a dining room, featuring exposed timber columns and a natural stone, gas-burning fireplace against an outside wall. The chimney is shared with a wood-burning fireplace on the outside patio, which is used for special events.
The first floor also includes training rooms and a state-of-the-art data center. Above the first floor is a mezzanine that can accommodate future expansion.
Moving to the second and third floors are offices with conference rooms and common open spaces to encourage collaboration.
Situated between two protected wetlands, a majority of the offices have a pastoral view, while the entire building’s plan is based on a simple, flexible, rectangular floor plan that is reminiscent of the elegant and humble agrarian structures of the western Pennsylvania landscape, CDI Studio One stated.
The dining experience is convinced as a lodge and is an independent pavilion that extends into the lawn, while a large, southern-facing glazed porch encourages employees to experience nature during the workday, the company added.
Adjacent to the headquarters, the new daycare is a one-story wood-framed structure with a pitched roof, which is reminiscent of homes in the region. The entryway features a magnetic message center, family conference room, stroller storage, and access to a large multipurpose room and children’s library. The building accommodates nine classrooms for infants to preschoolers. They are equipped with a training toilet room, countertop sinks and storage. Each classroom has an exterior door leading to a fenced playground and play area.
"This landmark office complex accurately reflects our corporate objectives," said Richard Cyman, vice president of design and construction for Sheetz. "It is progressive, innovative, and sustainable and the process was truly collaborative. It is an effective tool for helping us to realize our goals for the next 60 years."
The design team for the new Sheetz headquarters and operations center includes: CDI Studio One, design architect; CDI/L.R. Kimball, architect of record; Daroff Design, interior design; Keller Engineers, civil engineering; and Poole Anderson Construction, contractor
Altoona-based Sheetz Inc. operates more than 500 c-stores throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and North Carolina.