BMW of Rockville (Previously VOB BMW)

Client

VOB BMW
Location

Rockville, MD
Size

48,000-SF Showroom (2004); 64,000-SF Garage (2004); 98,500-SF Service Facility (2011)

Hospitality + Retail

Project Brief

As a Rockville-based general contractor, we’ve built some of the DC region’s most notable properties. But sometimes, there’s no greater sense of satisfaction than helping one of our own Rockville neighbors. After acquiring land within walking distance of our DAVIS headquarters, this local dealership counted on us to build a marquee showroom — not once, but twice.

Revving Up the Customer Experience

Credited with crafting the ultimate driving machine, this world-renowned luxury automaker needed a sophisticated space to match their high-end image. After the client purchased an ideally located site, we started by demolishing the existing structure and then moved on to building the new three-story showroom and three-level precast parking garage. We enclosed the base building with structural glass and metal panels — but the glasswork didn’t stop there. A hydraulic glass elevator bridges the second floor, giving the look and feel of effortless suspension.

When building out the interior, it was important to uphold the brand's first-class level of aesthetics. For a dramatic effect, we constructed 27-foot ceilings, accompanied by ultra high-end millwork. Special floor tiles were shipped from Germany along with structural glass from England. And since BMW is a worldwide brand with platinum standards, we secured corporate approval before installing all finishes.

On the Right Track

Next to the dealership’s showroom, our team also constructed a separate precast parking garage — which contains 175 parking spots and ties into the showroom’s third-floor garage. While building the precast garage was structurally straightforward, the location of the garage presented interesting proximity challenges, as the site is located just feet away from the WMATA Metro train tracks.

To prevent any construction debris from falling onto the tracks, we built a 30-foot mesh-wrapped fence. Throughout construction, our team monitored the site and was in constant contact with WMATA to ensure safe operating conditions.

Driving Success on Rockville Pike

This project was a success from every angle. In fact, the client was so pleased with our work that several years later we had the opportunity to renovate the service facility — located just down the road from the showroom. We’re proud of the great relationship we’ve developed with this local dealership, and we’re excited to see that our work spawned a surge of luxury auto dealerships on Rockville Pike.