Largo MD Extra Space Storage
Largo, Maryland · ExtraSpace
How do you disguise a self-storage facility to blend into an existing retail/residential area in an affluent suburb with proximity to the nation's capital?
multi-storyretail-contextstreetscapeaffluent-community
Highlights
- • Design dictated by community standards - followed 47-page 'Largo Town Center Urban Architectural Design Criteria' handbook
- • Used drone photography to analyze existing context - 1940s main street retail, contemporary office park, residential sprawl
- • Brick and EIFS exterior with warm tones echoing adjacent bank's red brick
- • Custom color consultant process with mock-up sample walls for material selection
- • Smokey gray opaque glass to simulate windows while hiding storage doors per county regulations
- • Ground-level retail storefront with green awnings echoing town center character
- • Successfully balanced local requirements with high-functioning self-storage design
Zoning & Context
Commercial corridor with 47-page design criteria handbook addressing building forms, materials, storefronts, fenestration percentages, and facade enhancement requirements.
Approvals Timeline
- • Community Council Meeting -> 1 month
- • Design Review Board -> 6 weeks
- • Permit Set -> 8 weeks
Lessons Learned
- • Early community engagement and understanding local design criteria is essential
- • Mock-up sample walls are critical for accurate material selection at building scale
- • Balancing storage functionality with community appearance standards requires careful design integration