In June of 2014, GMK Associates was retained by Richland County, SC, to provide architectural and engineering services for the design of a new County Coroner’s Office to replace the existing office located on Pineview Drive in Columbia, SC. The new facility located at 6300 Shakespeare Road accommodates expanded operations and services that are now provided by the Coroner’s Office. The project consisted of the renovation and upfit of an existing vacant commercial office and warehouse building on the approximately four-acre Shakespeare Road site. The building is 19,600-square-foot, pre-engineered, single-story, metal frame and masonry structure on a concrete slab on grade foundation. The building has a brick and metal exterior and a pitched metal roof. The large majority of interior of the building was open warehouse space that has been converted for the needs of a modern County coroner facility. 

​

Specific aspects of the completed renovation include the installation of a split system heat pump for the majority of the spaces with an energy recovery unit providing outside air. An evidence storage area was incorporated into the building with CMU wall construction and an owner-provided security system. Building finishes include VCT, ceramic tile, carpet, acoustical ceilings, paint and casework. Other interior work included basic electrical services, electrical life safety systems, and technology items. 

​

The project, including costs for land acquisition, demolition, design services, and construction, was completed under the original $2.5 million budget.