Mills Pharmacy + Apothecary

What were the circumstances of receiving the commission for this project?

The project was the result of a commission by two brothers, both pharmacists that owned several other smaller pharmacies and were looking to both expand, and consolidate their business under one roof. The client interviewed a number of potential candidates and later said, “we weren’t quite sure how to find you, but once we did, we knew you were the one.”

Please provide an overview of the project.

Mills is a comprehensive, two-phase renovation and expansion of a neighborhood fixture. Originally a family-owned pharmacy, opened in 1946, it featured a 13-seat soda fountain and served the surrounding neighborhood for generations. More than 60 years after its opening, Mills Pharmacy underwent a major transformation with new family ownership and expanded services, from a full-service pharmacy to a beauty and wellness boutique with an adjoining market.

Set within an existing retail strip at the edge of a residential district, the original 3,000-square-foot pharmacy was expanded into an adjacent market space twice its size. The ground floor retail spaces were combined and reconfigured along the street frontage and linked to the rear entry (used by the neighborhood and the majority of clients arriving by automobile) through a single corridor stocked with over-the-counter products along one side. Unlike a traditional pharmacy where the pharmacist is often positioned at the rear and elevated above the main floor, the pharmacy counter is centrally located, allowing the pharmacist to acknowledge clients as they enter through both the front and rear entryways from the same ground plane. Supporting activities, including a compounding lab and long-term-care pharmacy are connected by an office that is illuminated by a single skylight, providing indirect illumination to spaces on either side through sandblasted glass walls and doors.

Ordinary materials were chosen to seem familiar while wearing gracefully. The pharmacy wall, with its aspirin-like finish begins as a proscenium before wrapping around and forming a backdrop for the apothecary display, is finished with a lightly skip-troweled plaster. Pre-weathered copper panels frame a new opening and reworked entryway street side, while a metallic glazed brick recalls the alchemy of the pharmacist. Reclaimed oak, milled and stained, are worn without overselling themselves as antique. Built-in millwork alternates between various grades of plywood: a white panel commonly used for highway signs, a slip-resistant black veneer, and common fir plywood in the market lining — creating a wall of candy. Stand-alone displays are fabricated from hot rolled metal frames and laser cut steel shelves. A new, burnished concrete floor unites all of the new public spaces for clients.

To what extent did the clients and/or future users of the building influence the design and the outcome of the building?

The clients each had their own particular interests with respect to the project — while they were both involved in organizational aspects, one was much more interested in its materiality, while the other mostly interested in the financial implications of the decision making. Working to satisfy each of their concerns proved challenging and ultimately rewarding.

Were there any significant challenges that arose during the project? If so, how did you respond to them?

The site proved particularly challenging, given a number of existing structural conditions, bearing walls and grade changes.

One particularly challenging moment was when the existing masonry wall cracked when the cantilevered support for the front awning was fastened to it. Rather than adding a column support at the open corner of the glazing as proposed by the builder, we worked with the structural engineer and developed a means to counteract the cantilever at the rear by securing it down to the foundation.

The project sought an organization that took advantage of these obstacles for spatial and experiential benefit, suggesting a subtle interplay of mass, depth and surface.

How would you describe the architecture of Michigan and how does the building relate to it?

Michigan has a tradition of making things. From the automobile industry to the Cranbrook Academy of Art (which is two miles to the north), it’s a state with the spirit and know-how to make things. This project recognized resources and the skilled labor that exist in this part of the country and celebrated their work. Masons, millworkers, steel fabricators, and finish plasterers all contributed to this work. All of the interior elements were design, fabricated, and assembled within a 15-mile radius.

Email interview conducted by John Hill.