Beckett & Raeder, Inc. (BRI) was retained by historic preservation consultants Quinn Evans | Architects to provide landscape architectural, civil engineering and sustainable design professional services to Ann Arbor’s beloved Zingerman’s Delicatessen.  The project was the comprehensive renovation, modernization and expansion of this iconic and renowned Deli in Ann Arbor. The Deli is in a historic building, within a historic district, where commercial land uses blend to residential. This project required great finesse; contemplating the materials and scale of the expansion in its context. Further challenges included keeping the business operational during construction. This required intricate phasing for both the building and the site due to the majority of the Deli’s seating being outdoors, hence the need for a building expansion.

The project was awarded LEED Gold certification from the USGBC. BRI worked on the site design which consisted of grading and accessibility challenges among the three buildings on the deli campus, as well as service and delivery challenges on the small site with very close residential neighbors. BRI also led the sustainable design discussions for the site improvements which resulted in the use of pervious pavers, porous concrete, rain barrels, underground detention, and structural stormwater cleansing. The project was successful in maintaining Zingerman’s quirky design aesthetic and historic character while still modernizing its operation and sustainability footprint.