Daylight Specialists

Scope Of Work

CLIENT + BACKGROUND

Trailmark Outfitters is a small but prominent purveyor of outdoor and adventure attire. The store has been offering the best-in-class outdoor apparel to customers for 31 years at its sole location in the Galleria Shopping Center in Edina, MN. In commemoration of its 30-year anniversary last year, the company decided to upgrade its facilities through a modest yet meaningful renovation.  

 Daylight Specialists President, Jeff May, sat down with Trailmark owner, Joel Santerre, to talk about his decision to install Solatubes at his store and the impact they have had on his business.  

THE CHALLENGE

Because the storefront is located inside the mall, renovation options were limited by available space. Additionally, store owner Joel Santerre was looking for a renovation that would bring new life to the space without a hefty price tag or major renovation time. He decided that some daylight would do just the trick! However, as the store was completely boxed in by shared walls with neighboring stores, windows were not an option.  

Jeff: When did you decide daylighting was going to be a major focus of the remodel?  

Joel: “I’ve always wanted windows in the store, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen because of the design space and shared walls. So, my initial idea was to install a big skylight. But there is so much mechanical and HVAC equipment on the ceiling, it just wasn’t making sense structurally. That’s when Pat from Emerald Builders suggested Solatubes.”

The Edina Galleria has many Solatubes installed throughout its walkways already—one of the key features that makes the annual floral experience with Bachman’s, an indoor garden display, truly exceptional.  

Joel: “I liked the Solatubes in the mall hallways and thought they worked really well to bring in natural light. And of course, the mall was totally on board with them already, so the approval process was easy.”  

THE SOLUTION & RESULTS

Emerald Builders turned to Daylight Specialists for the job—who had installed the Solatubes in the same Galleria a few years prior.  

Daylight Specialists installed 5 750DS open ceiling Solatubes into Trailmark’s ceiling, and as an architectural choice, left the metal exteriors of the tubes exposed to compliment the industrial look of the ceiling already decorated with HVAC and piping.  

 Solatubes proved to be the perfect solution for Trailmark’s daylighting needs. They have created a more natural, comfortable, and inviting atmosphere for customers while also providing a refreshing and productive work environment for employees.