Liquid Design Reinvents a National Car Sales Industry

Stephen Ohlemacher of the The Associated Press recently wrote "hard-line opponents of an auto-industry bailout branded the industry a dinosaur whose day of reckoning is near. Although the auto-industry will probably not encounter the same fate as the dinosaurs (much to the chagrin of the eco-conscious), nobody can deny that not much has changed since Henry Ford filled a lot with his Model-T's in 1908. While most car lot owners ponder the possibility of solar powered lighting for their acres of inventory or tout their hybrid gas burners as a way to reduce your carbon footprint, it is clear that we need to re-think the entire process of how we consume this assembly line commodity.

What's wrong with Car Lots?
In short, a lot! Water quality and storm runoff, heat islands, oils and detergents, hoarding of agrarian potential, suburban sprawl corridors, sub-critical energy consumption, air quality, light pollution, and the list goes on and on. In today's economy, car dealers struggle to provide a just-in-time delivery method yet the inevitable inventory stacks up. In order to modify 100 years of habit, we propose to make sweeping reforms in the way we provide cars for purchase by the public.

Reform?
Yes, reform. As Architects we have studied, practiced, and make a living tailoring the environment to influence the way people respond to it. Retail is the same whether it is a piece of jewelry, a cell phone, a piece of clothing, or an automobile. Automobile Showrooms are dedicated retail space meant to entice the customer to purchase an automobile but have morphed into simply a placeholder for backdrops to the intensive negotiation process that you either love or hate. Liquid Design is proposing to separate the inventory from the sales process. We can no longer afford to stock cars for the buyer's scrutiny like a clearance sales rack at the local Wal-Mart. Development density, mixed-use and environmental principles demand that changes be made and we have modeled this change after the modular home revolution that is occurring in conjunction with the current Green Building explosion.

The Benefits of Modular
Our modular car showroom will be unique because it is built in a climate-controlled factory negating the chances of weather related delays or problems. Design Flexibility of modular construction allows for hundreds of options and design possibilities. Some other benefits are speed of modular construction, reduced building time frame, quality construction, reduced waste during the manufacturing process, elimination of cost overruns, control over selection of environmentally friendly materials, and recyclability as the pod can be converted to support multiple functions.

Evolution of the Showroom PODTM
Taking clues from the recent popularity of American's reducing their love affair with square footage, we began to analyze what is really required for the car sales process. The basics came down to shelter, the potential for climate control, lighting, and security. Infused with part technology and part common sense, each basic necessity blossomed into an opportunity to explore our commitment to sustainability and provide function as well as aesthetic purposes.




In the age of information it has become necessary for companies to take their message to the consumer and not wait for the consumer to come to them.

The Showroom PODTM is a concise informational center for the consumer to learn about and / or get reacquainted with a particular car company and the products it represents. The Showroom PODTM allows for a focused opportunity for the car company to not only educate the consumer about its brand but also its goals and vision for the future. Bottom line, a one on one opportunity to answer why its products are relevant in today's ever changing world.

To learn more contact us at info@liquiddesign.net.