Walmart Neighborhood Market

Adding a brand new, modern store in traditional small town America can be a real challenge. But when good design is matched with the right material and then installed with care, it’s possible to fit a new Neighborhood Market right into Wal-Mart’s hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas, and make it feel like it is right where it belongs.

According to Robert Klemple, AIA, SGA Design Group, this store was special. It had to be designed to both blend in with and complement the Bentonville Town Square environment. “Careful consideration was taken with respect to the existing palette of building facades and architectural vernacular of material textures and colors. All of these factors helped define the modern small urban town growth and feel that is defining the “New” downtown Bentonville”.

“We are very excited to have been able to supply the Spec-Brik for the project. The designer did an amazing job, said Mark Wilhelms, VP or Architectural Sales for Midwest Block & Brick. “The varied roofline, the subtle use of four different shades of Spec-Brik, and other design details make the store really feel like it belongs in the downtown. And, of course, the fact that it is in Bentonville, Walmart’s hometown, makes it really special.”

The Walmart Neighborhood Market offers a full line of groceries, pharmaceuticals, health and beauty aids, photo developing services, and a limited selection of general merchandise. A truly modern grocery store. All while using time tested materials. Walls are single wythe load-bearing, reinforced masonry, constructed with Spec-Brik in a red black blend, charcoal gray, limestone grey, and a color that came to be known as Benton Beige.

Cost Effective as Well as Beautiful

“The Spec-Brik wall system has some built in advantages,” said Coltr Crowell, the Midwest Commercial Sales Representative who worked closely with Masonry IV Contracting on the project. “The size of the units, and the fact that they are faced on both sides, meant reduced labor costs over traditional cavity wall systems.

The added fact that the Spec-Brik wall system integrate both the structural element and finished surfaces -- on both sides of the wall also helps save money. All of that is on top of the visual appeal of Spec-Brik. Both Jeff Ray and Beryl Ragan from Masonry IV did a great job installing the product. We worked very hand-in-hand with them and with Rob Klemple and his team at SGA Design to make sure Walmart got maximum value from the project.” Crowell said.

Kiemple praised Midwest for it “customer service with a hands-on spirit of partnership in responding to the challenge of color, manufacturing, and delivery.”

The project “has received high praise by many and it is due, in part to the diligence and consideration of the teamwork that Midwest Block and Spec-Brik have created throughout the process to a successful project conclusion.” Kemple has more than 20 years of retail design experience, working with clients like Albertsons and Home Depot, in addition to Walmart.