Garco Mill – Ingevity

Garco Mill dates back to the early 20th century when the site was home to a textile factory. By the early 80s, the Mill closed, and the industrial site sat untouched for decades. In a revitalization effort, a group of investors worked to develop the site into three buildings — each with its own style and amenities. The owners contracted with Evans General Contractors to design-bid-build Phase II, a new Class A, four-story office building for Ingevity.

Ingevity provides specialty chemicals, high-performance carbon materials, and engineered polymers. These 
products are used in a variety of demanding applications, including asphalt paving, oil exploration and production, agrochemicals, adhesives, lubricants, coatings, bio-plastics, and automotive components that reduce gasoline 
vapor emissions.

The 108,000-square-foot office building is a brownfield site: it sits on 194 prestressed concrete piles that are 14” in diameter and 51’ deep. The pile caps and grade beams allow for the erection of 723 tons of structural steel to top out at a building height of 65’.

The building skin consists of a mixture of storefront, curtainwall, brick masonry, and aluminum composite panels. The roofing system is a 60-mil PVC fully adhered membrane over two layers of 2” insulation. In addition to HVAC, electrical, and dual elevators, there were several high-end specialties and finish upgrades consisting of specially designed clouds and acoustical ceilings, full lite glass doors, specialty pendant lighting, powered and manual window shades, wood paneling, quartz counter-tops, porcelain wall tiles, and ceramic floor tiles. The fourth floor includes an outdoor balcony with vented teak raised flooring. The main stair consists of a stainless steel and glass handrail system that spans the floors and is accented with an elaborate tiered and lighted fixture. Other specialty build items included a custom hardwood fronted reception desk, executive boardroom with electrified glass, mail room, kitchen, interior offices, and a 3,300-square-foot fitness center. A unique floor-to-ceiling mural was also applied.

This upscale office building is a premier office space in the Park Circle area of North Charleston.