A four-ply roof covered with stone will also accommodate parking at the building's rear, with access through a nearby freight elevator. To handle the unique requirements for material and facility management, including oil and the exhaust gener- ated by the underground cars, Ric- chetti says Mercedes brought in its own experienced trades during the project's final months. The dealership also houses a dedi- cated AMG Performance Centre and a smart (small car) Centre. An additional 43,000 sq. ft. has been earmarked for the service area, and includes 32 state- of-the-art work bays, six detailing bays as well as a six vehicle drive-through. The new site also offers significant client parking enhancements com- pared to the previous location. The release also noted “the layout of the new facility will follow the Mer- cedes-Benz proprietary Auto Haus de- sign concept, which promotes “the widespread use of glass to maintain transparency and create a bright, open concept feeling.” In this, Ricchetti says concessions had to be made. “The original design called for window sizes and thickness that were not cost-effective. We were able to move to four mullions from three and achieved important cost sav- ings.” The new Mercedes-Benz retail cor- porate identity, which includes black with accents of silver, “reminiscent of the three-pointed star, will replace the blue colours traditionally seen in Mer- cedes-Benz stores.” This, Ricchetti says, supports Mer- cedes interest in a simple building de- sign to better showcase the cars. “The corporate colour design actually changed mid-way through construc- tion, moving away from the old black, white and blue to just black and white.” Energy efficiencies have been built into the design through HVAC sys- tems. The Canadian Design and Construction Report — July-August 2015 – 51