Retail

Rahal Jaguar/Land Rover

Bobby Rahal South Hills Jaguar/Land Rover is the newest dealership for the Bobby Rahal Automotive Group. The building is located along Route 19 in North Strabane Township, Washington County. Since its opening in April 2019, it has served as the new prototype for Jaguar-Land Rover dealerships. This 44,000 square foot facility houses two showrooms, service and parts departments, accounting, financing and customer hospitality areas.

The structure consists of a masonry bearing wall and steel frame system. Most of the building is single story with a second floor mezzanine level used for parts storage. Steel roof deck is supported by open-web steel joists and steel beams and concrete floor slabs are supported by composite steel beams. Masonry bearing walls and interior columns support the floor and roof systems. A partial mezzanine for mechanical equipment and the roof of the wash bay are constructed of hollow core precast plank bearing on masonry walls. The building is clad with custom aluminum composite panels and corrugated metal panels.

The architectural focal point of the building are two 80-foot long continuous glass storefronts in which no structural components could be visible. That resulted in the use of two twelve feet deep custom steel trusses clear-spanning the 80-foot openings. Tolerances for the storefronts were very strict and required close coordination with the architect and general contractor.

Ultimately, the project was completed within budget and on time and has been considered a success. The Master Builder’s Association honored the project in 2019 by presenting the project with a Building Excellence Award.