The Santa Barbara Architectural Board of Review on January 20 reviewed an early concept for a proposed Rivian automobile dealership in Goleta.
The proposed dealership would be located at 6210 Hollister Avenue on property owned by the Santa Barbara Airport. The site was previously approved for a different dealership model in 2018, but was never constructed.
While Rivian has dealerships in major cities across California, including Los Angeles, Palo Alto, and San Francisco, there are no dealerships along the Central Coast.
Representatives of Rivian plan to replace the previously approved “fragmented” design with a single, consolidated building that would house all dealership operations.
The facility is expected to include a front-of-house consumer lounge, vehicle display areas, a service center with parts storage, and an interior wash bay. The site would serve only electric vehicles, focusing on technological and mechanical repairs rather than collision repair or internal combustion engine service.
Unlike typical dealerships, the Rivian facility would support a direct-to-consumer sales model and offer test drives and educational opportunities.
Rivian said it plans to build a prefabricated engineered building, describing it as a functional and economical choice used across its portfolio.
The design incorporates a simple pitched roof with a minimum clear height of 18 feet. Exterior materials shown in renderings include metal panels designed to resemble wood, along with bronze-anodized metal details and storefront glass.
Rivian said the roof would remain “clean” and unobstructed, with HVAC systems located on ground-mounted pads.
While some board members said the industrial massing aligned with nearby airport hangars, others expressed concern about the “placelessness” of the brand’s generic design.
Some board members suggested the design should reflect Santa Barbara’s traditional architectural character, even if it does not replicate the city’s signature “white plaster and red terracotta” style.
Board Chair Lauren Anderson noted that an agrarian gable form was appropriate for the area, drawing a parallel to nearby airport hangars. The board also suggested using a Mission Revival warehouse as a source of inspiration and studying the work of architect Julia Morgan in San Simeon, particularly the warehouses she designed there.
The board noted that even utilitarian structures, such as the airport control tower, incorporate Spanish Colonial Revival elements through colors and forms.
Beyond the building itself, the board suggested using landscaping and outdoor interaction spaces to help the structure better blend with its surroundings.
Board members also expressed concern about plans showing only a standard parking lot, rather than the complex logistics required for a dealership and service center. Rivian was asked how customer vehicle drop-offs would function and where service queues would be located.
The board also sought clarity on the placement of trash enclosures and ground-mounted equipment, noting that these elements affect both visual appeal and site circulation.
Rivian explained that customers typically drop off their vehicles in a dedicated outdoor area, after which service staff move them into the building for repair.
Acknowledging these gaps, Rivian committed to providing more detailed renderings and operational information in future plan submissions.
Because the meeting was a pre-application consultation, the board did not take a formal vote. After Rivian submits a formal application, City staff will review the revised design.
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Perfect packing shed architecture. Just like the newer storage units along the South side of the freeway by Paterson.
6210 Hollister Ave. which is next to 6290 – the site of the now defunct Santa Barbara Chrysler Jeep Dodge Dealership…
Looks like they were going to make an auto mall? (quite the spat between SB & Goleta early 2018)
Maybe this is a “work around”?
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Im curious if the construction so close to the DOJ laboratory would affect their research and laboratory experiments. Maybe the reason for the pre-fabricated building.
Construction will not affect the lab’s R&D efforts. There may be some brief road closures, but that can be planned and easily worked out.
Bees, why would you think a crime lab does research and development? Clean out the cobwebs.
It’s a forensics lab. Not much R&D involved.