Orange tile, green tile, gold tile, oh my! Walk into the characteristic, remarkable and extraordinary Popp Martin Dining Hall of UNC Charlotte’s main campus and you’ll be color struck. Interesting tiles of all colors, shapes and sizes jump off the walls, while the intelligently designed LVT flooring keeps the space looking fresh. Clean lines, vibrant hues and functionality take the space from mundane dining hall to modern dining oasis.
Functionality is just as important as design, and this project hit that mark. Over 7000sf of protect-all was installed in the kitchen areas for easy cleanup, durability, and comfort.
With all the pretty finishes, why did we submit this project for “Toughest Timeline?” Because the challenges driving this project entailed a total strip down renovation that took place from May of 2023 when the students left for summer until the students came back in August of 2023. The amount of organization, planning, logistics and crisis management that went into a timeline like that is impressive to say the least. The largest UNCC dining hall renovation had the smallest window for completion, but nonetheless, we succeeded and are proud to have been part of the push.
Garmon and Company had the pleasure to be one of many trades on this fast-paced, challenging and design-driven project of 20+ wall tiles, 3 different styles of LVT, and protect-all. We were proud to work with and showcase our FUSE partners Protect-All, Shaw, Daltile, Johnsonite, Schonox and Mapei.
Nancy Thiel, founder and principal of Thiel Architecture + Design, is a licensed architect and an interior designer. With 40+ years’ experience working with luminaries in the architecture world, including Michael Graves, Robert A.M. Stern, and Rockwell Group, where she served as a studio leader, Thiel’s extensive portfolio includes single-family homes and multi-story residences, hotels, restaurants, retail, fitness clubs, offices, theaters, schools and shopping centers. She is a member of the AIA, holds NCARB certification and is a LEED accredited professional. Prior to her career in architecture, Thiel was a dancer and choreographer.
Thiel Architecture + Design is an award-winning multi-disciplinary architecture, interior design, planning, and product design firm with offices in CT and NY. The firm’s work focuses on high-end residential design as well as hospitality, contract, and retail projects. Thiel Architecture + Design’s work has been featured in Interior Design, Architype, New York and Connecticut Cottages and Gardens, Connecticut Magazine, Archello, and Fast Company magazines. In 2022, the firm received a Connecticut AIA Excellence award for Interior Architecture. Thiel earned a BA from Penn State University and her Master of Architecture degree from Syracuse University.
