HFA has a long-standing history with Walmart, the Bentonville-based, multinational retail corporation which has over 10,000 retail supercenters in 24 countries. HFA partners with Walmart to provide architectural and engineering services for numerous remodels, new store, and special projects each year. Our services for these projects include architectural, mechanical, electrical, fire protection, refrigeration, and structural; and we provide these throughout all phases of design and construction. Examples of support include: Conducting existing site verification visits Providing exterior branding design packages Producing Construction Documents Managing document submittals for review and permit Managing and producing document revisions throughout pre-construction, bidding, and construction Conducting any state required construction observations upon project completion A large portion of the Walmart program focuses on General Remodel, including large-scale interior and exterior updates, expansions of the existing store footprint, implementations of prototypical design elements, and store-specific updates and design initiatives. Additionally, HFA was selected in 2021 as one of three architectural firms in Walmart’s Design Collective to manage and design projects to test one of their newest initiatives. Our architectural and engineering teams collaborated with other civil and structural firms, vendors, and consultants to develop design solutions for various prototypical and non-prototypical layout stores. Through clear communication, exceptional coordination, and design thinking, our team was able to help the client solidify design guidance and achieve their goal of beginning implementation in select stores.

HFA recently collaborated on an innovative drive-through-only (DTO) project for Wawa in Morrisville, PA. Our team was able to bring our internal expertise in architecture and engineering to the table while working with trusted contractors to ensure we adhered to Wawa’s building and design standards every step of the way. This test project, which was a first for Wawa, was especially exciting because it allowed our team to collaborate on a new store prototype that was essential for keeping customers and employees safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

HFA partnered with Stripes prior to its merger with 7/11 to develop a new prototype design, while simultaneously providing full services for their successful new store and remodel roll out program. HFA collaborated with design firm Chute Gerdeman to help the Stripes team redefine the way customers interacted with the Laredo Taco Company, taking it from a minor establishment hidden away from view to a destination within the c-store environment itself. HFA was also responsible for implementing a full project administration system to include all facets of a project from real estate investigation through construction, including real-time project tracking and documentation.

At the onset of our partnership with Love’s Travel Stops in 2014, we were tasked with providing fueling design services with CNG pumps. Fast forward to today and our dedicated team now provides full-service architecture, engineering, and fueling support for the new store program (which includes franchise-based restaurants combined with a traditional c-store layout), as well as tire service facilities across the country. As part of our growing partnership with the Love’s team, HFA actively develops and manages the new store prototype, maintaining consistency and providing Love’s the ability to scale at a more rapid pace.

Our partnership with Cumberland Farms (now under the banner of EG America) began in 2013, when our team was brought on to develop and manage its new store prototype rollout. The team at HFA has since provided full architecture and engineering services to help better support the EG America team and this recently included merging the Cumberland Farms prototype with EG America’s branding, in terms of look and feel when it comes to not only Cumberland Farms but other formats, as well. Our work with EG America has also included a virtual reality tour of the new prototype so our clients could better visualize their customer’s in-store experience prior to construction, allowing for real-time updates to the prototype that limited schedule and cost implications.

With origins as a largely online-only retailer selling outdoor recreational equipment and gear, our partnership with Moosejaw began after it was acquired by Walmart in 2017. Our clients at Walmart were eager to establish a brick-and-mortar presence for Moosejaw in Bentonville, AR, essentially Walmart's backyard and home to its corporate headquarters. As our clients began to seek out the perfect location in downtown Bentonville, they knew that above all they wanted to take an existing space and reuse the raw, old materials in the remodel. HFA helped them achieve their vision thanks to our full-service, multi-disciplined team that was not only able to deliver on the industrial feel Moosejaw is known for, but by doing so on a tight timeline, as well. Once completed, the Walmart and Moosejaw team began laying the groundwork for more location similar in look and feel to this first project.

HFA collaborated with Moseley-Bona to breathe new life into the Alltown Caf?© and Market concept, reinvigorating the design to reflect the fresh, local, organic, and made-to-order offerings that customers have since come to know and expect from Alltown Market. Built to be both aesthetically pleasing and easy to shop, these new and re-branded stores gave off purely New England vibes, thanks to the natural tones of the materials applied throughout and the use of locally available building products. Each location provided the opportunity for the team‚Äôs creativity to shine by utilizing interesting, reclaimed materials to give each store its own unique look and feel, while still retaining the same brand recognition that loyal customers know and love.

The HFA team was brought in to finish out this project with Seasons, our first collaboration with them. Because we were brought in after the project began, the timeline was expedited, however that didn’t stop our team from getting quickly up to speed on both how the client operates and specific brand guidelines that need to be incorporated in the design and build. Before we came on board, Seasons was working with two separate firms for architecture and engineering services, so the unique benefit we brought to the table was our ability to merge both disciplines under one umbrella, allowing for ideal collaboration and consistent communication with all the different stakeholders working alongside us on this project.

HFA collaborated with the team at Chute Gerdeman to revisit MAPCO’s previous prototype to bring a new efficiency and streamlined flow to the space, while simultaneously refreshing and modernizing MAPCO’s brand identity and customer experience. HFA provided architectural and engineering services for the prototype as well as fueling design, which included implementing an all new fueling canopy. Our team was also behind the creation of MAPCO’s new design standards, created to streamline project work and design direction in the future.

Over a four year period, 7-Eleven added over 1000 stores to their chain through ground up construction, mergers and acquisitions, tenant finish outs and business conversions. HFA developed a new prototype that included value engineering items while designing to meet the client’s goal of 25% energy reduction. Developed a program to provide automated material takeoffs through the use of BIM technology, which was provided to pre-negotiated vendors for material procurement, facility maintenance and operations. HFA provided 7-Eleven with site development services for this complex and fast paced program encompassing over 250 stores in locations across the country. The full-team approach to serving 7-Eleven included permitting, landscape, irrigation, drainage, site design, and construction administration. nd design phases.

Located on an active business corridor in Newton, the team was challenged with transforming three existing industrial office buildings into a modern ‘industrial chic’ mixed-use development. With a lively and inviting retail atmosphere, Newton Nexus will be a destination for many shoppers, offering contemporary architecture, public gathering spaces, and a unique shopping experience.