La Bodega

La Bodega is a former grocery warehouse located in downtown Lubbock on Broadway Avenue. Originally built in 1922, the building has housed a mattress factory and a Mexican import shop prior to its acquisition by Chester Green. In 1996 the La Bodega building was converted to offices for the architectural firm of Chapman Harvey Architects, Inc. (then Green Harvey Architects). The architect approached the design of the office space housed within a historic warehouse with creativity and imagination, accenting the historic character with modern features and furnishings. The exterior masonry walls remain as originally found, as did the wood plank floors and the ceiling joists, while new windows and doors were installed in existing and new openings. HVAC ducts crisscross the exposed ceiling structure, providing an additional layer of visual interest. Utilizing a predominately open plan, spaces are defined by walls that extend nine feet high in the fourteen feet high warehouse volume. Unique lighting fixtures and unexpected details throughout the offices offer inspiration to clients and designers alike. La Bodega is a shining example of the ways in which the work environment can be enhanced through creative design and adaptive reuse.