Designing one building at 10,680 square feet and the other at 9,500 square feet, Jan Laront, a principal in the Phoenix‑based company who is both architect and developer for this project, observed, “The size makes sense for established businesses.” But, pointing out that the larger builder features an entrance at both its southwest and northeast corners, he noted the design allows it to be divided into two units.

A private, secure yard is a vital feature of each building. Rolling gates will be accessed individually from each building’s driveway on Mohawk as well as from a shared drive across the north end of the property entered from 28th Street.

The distinctive character of the buildings’ shape comes primarily from their roofline: a sawtooth design. “This was an opportunity to demonstrate a way of distinguishing the buildings from standard development, and produce interesting design work that has value and character,” explained Laront, adding there is a historical perspective in that the design refers to a factory heritage with clerestory windows illuminating a factory floor.

Greater natural light is one advantage of the design, which includes skylights to make the most of one of Arizona’s natural resources. Another, he pointed out, is natural ventilation. Since warm air rises to the highest point, the sawtooth roof design affords greater ability to exhaust the warm air. “It’s a more effective way of making evaporative cooling work.”

Clearance in the buildings is 16 feet, and the sawtooth roof design impacts that interior space as well. “It helps you get consistency in terms of roof clearances within the space.”

Laront also uses the sawtooth to naturally drain the roof. “I pitched the roof to the corner, negating the need for roof drains and related plumbing,” he explained.

The buildings’ exterior combines stucco and masonry block to an effect that emphasizes the horizontal character of the structures.

Using a banding approach, Laront’s design features stucco along the bottom and the top of the walls. The block used is 8x16 inches, with a horizontal raked joint.

“I wanted the building to stretch out,” Laront explained, describing the visual impact.

Windows face east and west, but are shielded by an aluminum‑finished sun screen structure adjacent to the buildings’ window wall. This is designed to cut the glare from low‑in‑the‑horizon rising and setting suns while still allowing glazing on the long sides of  the buildings.

Parking lies along the long western side of each building, with some of it within the secured yards. There is public parking outside the gated area, provided near the three building entrances.

The project broke ground in June, and Brent Bowles, broker with Greystone Properties in Phoenix, expects it to be completed by the end of the year. He has already had interest from an apparel distributor who has satellite distribution throughout the Valley.

“It’s good land use,” he observed, noting, “No one wants to live by the freeway.” In fact, he related the land had been rezoned by the City of Phoenix from residential to industrial. “This gave the (previous) owners an escape option.” Proximity to a transit line (the Loop 101 freeway) and the Deer Valley Airport make it attractive for industrial use, he pointed out.

Bordered by the CAP canal, Cave Creek Road and Loop 101, the crescent of land whereon lies this property attracted Laront’s interest because, he explained, “It’s in a (whole) neighborhood of potential office buildings.”

The larger building has been sold but the smaller is available for lease through Brent Bowles at Greystone Properties, who can be reached at (602) 996‑9908.