The Douglas County Public Works project consolidates entities and departments from three different areas of town onto a single site; The design expresses the individual character of each of these working groups. The buildings are grouped to work together and be a campus of related, familial structures. Because these structures serve the public, they needed to be prominent and noticeable for visitor wayfinding purposes. The buildings rise out of the natural hill to clearly communicate where to go upon approach.
The multi-building project program includes: administrative and operations building, crew building, fleet maintenance facility, enclosed vehicle storage, wash facility, enclosed materials storage, noxious weeds chemical storage facility, salt/sand mixing and storage. Besides offices and meeting rooms, the main facility includes a training room facility that can be used after-hours for approximately 60-80 participants. The 14-acre site was planned with efficient traffic flow for a variety of functions, including: large trucks, public vehicles, and county vehicles. A complete analysis of current and new equipment needed for all aspects of the department’s operations was also included in our scope of work.
The design was developed as an economical yet durable and maintainable site-responsive solution that capitalized on natural daylighting, shaded outdoor work, natural ventilation, and efficient movement between buildings. Fenestration and related openings are positioned for natural ventilation; And because the form backs up into the hillside, the yard is shielded from northern storms which protects the outdoor work areas, minimizing the impact of northern exposure on the performance of the building envelope. This facility was awarded LEED Silver and uses pre-engineered building components and structure.
The Rammed Earth walls were constructed by Douglas County employees on site, bringing an entirely new meaning to “Stakeholder Inclusive Design.”
Awards:
– LEED Silver
– Architecture Masterprize, Honorable Mention, 2018
– AIA Central States, Excellence in Architecture, 2017
– AIA Kansas, Design Excellence Award, 2017
– American Concrete Institute, Judges Award, 2015
– Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Municipal Concrete Award, 2015
