Forevermore, 2019 will be referred to as “the year we renovated.” After waiting months for city approval, in early May, the Heurista team cleared out of our office building at 1457 Merrimon Avenue in Asheville, NC, readying it for a renovation that was scheduled to last four months. The plan was to work from our homes, or coffee shops, or cars. Anne and Jeff’s little two-bedroom rental house became Heurista central, often hosting team meetings, the testing of mammoth digital screens for clients, and the rotating assortment of Jeff’s shop equipment.

Renovating the building had been on the plan since we bought it in the fall of 2014. At that time, Heurista was working out of Anne and Jeff’s house in Barnardsville, a 25-minute drive for the team. The house was spacious, but seven people working out of one room is too much for any team.  It was time for dedicated space for the business to grow and diversify.

When we started looking at spaces to rent, we drove past 1457 often, completely ignoring the For Sale sign at the street. It was a well-known building positioned high on a rock above the main thoroughfare on the north side of town. Built in 2004, the building had been home to several small businesses before: a computer store, a wine shop, and most recently, a French cooking school. None seemed to thrive, probably due at least in part to the steep angle of the driveway. It didn’t seem right for us, either. It was two long, narrow retail spaces with no garage entrance and no office spaces.

However, after watching us tour space after falling-apart space in Asheville’s creative districts, our friends (and real estate geniuses), Troy and Kelly suggested that we take a look at 1457. We were reticent. We questioned the north Asheville location, we didn’t like the look of the building (Jeff’s term for the combination of the stepped façade and fake pebble-dash: “Alamo chic”), and we weren’t looking to buy.  Wisely, Troy and Kelly helped us think through the total financial picture. Heurista could spend a lot upfitting a rental space or own and modify a  building of our own. And thus, in very short order, we became the proud owners of 1457 Merrimon Avenue!

 Our first year in the building we did some minor renovations. We opened the walls between the two spaces to allow us to work in both sides as a single occupant. We added an office for Anne and turned one of the bathrooms into a kitchen. We painted the interiors, decked it out with all of our toys and trinkets and planted a garden. We grew the team, grew the client list, and expanded the list of products and services we were offering. In other words… with all that growth, in less than five years we were needing to expand further or move. We put a lot of thought into both, finally settling on improving 1457 as the wisest investment.

 Through Troy, we were connected to the architect, Myles Alexander and the MA|CK Constructors team. Both are well known for the quality of their work and their contemporary style. It was a great match. With their help, we were able to plan a renovation that created a second floor on the office side of the building, elevated the ceilings on the workspace side, and gave us a completely new look, including the garage door we’d so wanted. 

Now, after just a few weeks back in the office, we are starting to feel at home here. Our team of six is settling in to new routines and we’re heading into 2020 with renewed optimism and the space we need to achieve all the new opportunities that lie ahead!