SEWER AND TRAFFIC OPERATIONS FACILITY
PIERCE COUNTY
SEWER AND TRAFFIC OPERATIONS FACILITY
Location Puyallup, WA Building Area 133,069 SF (Buildings A-F) Site Area 28.2/18.9 Acres (Total Site/Construction Area) Project Type Industrial/Civic
1
For years, Pierce County’s Traffic Operations - a division responsible for maintaining street signage, striping, and traffic signals - struggled to maintain functionality within antiquated, inadequate facilities. Meanwhile, the Sewer Collections Division was contemplating new facilities of their own. Through a study of alternatives came an “Aha… What if?...” moment, when the idea of co-locating these two seemingly unrelated divisions was born; the Sewer and Traffic Operations Project (STOP). Appearing as unlikely partners at first, many areas of compatibility became evident, as the County and Design Team worked to analyze programmatic needs, operational strategies, and alternative locations. As design concepts progressed, inherent programmatic contrasts emerged: clean/dirty, high/low, quiet/noisy, secure/open, transparent/ opaque, and civic/industrial. These contrasting pairings, coupled with the County’s commitment to integrate sustainable strategies, inspired a design response that organizes the buildings into a mini-urban grid of internal streets, with a form and materials language that unifies its site. The resulting outcome blends an interdependent program of compatible operations into a machine-like facility, accommodating administrative, crew, equipment maintenance, fabrication, warehousing, equipment storage and fueling & wash functions. Transparency, a primary goal of the County, is apparent at every turn: pedestrian safety and security comes from the ability to see into, through, and beyond. Tough and industrial - yet appealing and professional - the work environments enhance communication, collaboration, safety, and team building, while conserving energy and material resources. In pursuit of LEED Gold, the project features a ground source heat exchange system and high efficiency HVAC equipment, coupled with passive strategies for shading, daylighting, and natural ventilation, achieving an EUI of 38 (kBTU/SF/Year) in the main building. The facility location, a 28 acre site in South Puyallup, has reduced annual maintenance travel costs by more than $100,000, and substantially reduced CO2 emissions. Deployed from a location designed for optimal work flow, staff and crew now exude a sense of elevated professionalism, strong productivity, and inter-divisional camaraderie. Like the white, blue, and chrome vehicles representative of Pierce County, six buildings reflect the crisp image and great pride this agency takes in its work, while affording County residents projected cost savings for decades to come.
2
Inviting to the community and employees, the approach to the Sewer and Traffic Operations campus combines innovative design with native landscaping, seamlessly transitioning a forested area into an industrial, yet humane facility. A public trail connects the site to nearby neighborhoods. Gabion walls recall the site’s former era as a gravel mine. 3
A
122 nd Street
1
20
17
6 7
primary crew entry/exit secondary crew entry/exit public trail residential neighborhood crew parking visitor parking entry plaza crew locker rooms offices crew dispatch rooms clean shops dirty shops vehicle fuel and wash light pole rack future expansion generator existing forest water quality pond rain gardens pervious concrete infiltration pond sm. vehicle & eqpt. storage enclosed vehicle parking covered parking tipping wall warehouse rainwater collection tank
8
5
A
B
19
10
section a
9 16
C
3
18
E
D
11
26
B
17
4
23 18 15
C
22 24
12
15
27 15
21
9 4 th Avenue
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
4
section b
LEGEND
F
19
D E
13
F
14 25 2
N
SITE PLAN
The project ambitiously combines solutions for operational efficiency with strategies for enhancing the surrounding semi-rural environment. 4
Building A presents a civic character and establishes the material palette for the campus; its roofline rises gently toward the main public road at the eastern edge of the recessed site. Reclaimed cedar sign posts identify main entry points at each building.
5
A common material language is extended throughout the campus. The break room opens to a covered, outdoor patio adjacent to a central avenue of circulation for staff and crew of all departments.
6
Reclaimed cedar - milled from the wooden posts of County road signs and stockpiled over several years - is extended inside as linear ceilings and signage at office and crew spaces. This singular move reduced waste, enhanced symbolism and positively impacted the project’s budget. 7
Fenestration - both clear and translucent - is generously used throughout the campus, bringing daylighting inside and offering the visibility that leads to safe, accountable activity. The daylit central corridor of Building A encourages crew and administrative staff to merge and interact.
8
Reclaimed cedar sign posts at key exterior locations and throughout the interior of Building A
Green roof deck
Pervious concrete
Operable windows in high corridor and perimeter offices promote natural ventilation
Broad overhangs at southern façade
High clerestory at internal corridor
Tall window apertures allow greater daylighting
Horizontal geo-exchange system provides heated floor slabs throughout the campus Interior window walls invite transparency and light into building core
Sustainable strategies contribute toward pursuit of a LEED Gold rating
Rain water collection tank provides process water for crews in street maintenance
9
lobby
office
PUBLIC
mudroom
ADMIN
CREW
Building ‘A’, Cross Section a
sign shop
crew gallery
ADMIN | CREW
CLEAN SHOP
striper bays
DIRTY SHOP
Buildings ‘A’ & ‘C, Cross Section b 10
LEGEND public administration traffic
This diagram from the early planning phase studies newly-discovered program adjacencies, massing, and the flow of people and equipment through and among the buildings.
sewer shared crew warehouse equipment maintenance vehicle flow people flow
11
Systems and materials were selected for economy, durability, sustainability and beauty.
12
Interior site landscaping and reclaimed cedar lumber are used throughout the campus to incorporate the surrounding natural habitat, and provide a humanized work environment in this otherwise industrial setting. Clerestory windows naturally light internal corridors and connect shop spaces within Building C.
13
The facility is designed for 24 hour operation to support the community during emergency events.
14
15
SEWER AND TRAFFIC OPERATIONS FACILITY
Location Puyallup, WA Building Area 133,069 SF (Buildings A-F) Site Area 28.2/18.9 Acres (Total Site/Construction Area) Project Type Industrial/Civic
1
For years, Pierce County’s Traffic Operations - a division responsible for maintaining street signage, striping, and traffic signals - struggled to maintain functionality within antiquated, inadequate facilities. Meanwhile, the Sewer Collections Division was contemplating new facilities of their own. Through a study of alternatives came an “Aha… What if?...” moment, when the idea of co-locating these two seemingly unrelated divisions was born; the Sewer and Traffic Operations Project (STOP). Appearing as unlikely partners at first, many areas of compatibility became evident, as the County and Design Team worked to analyze programmatic needs, operational strategies, and alternative locations. As design concepts progressed, inherent programmatic contrasts emerged: clean/dirty, high/low, quiet/noisy, secure/open, transparent/ opaque, and civic/industrial. These contrasting pairings, coupled with the County’s commitment to integrate sustainable strategies, inspired a design response that organizes the buildings into a mini-urban grid of internal streets, with a form and materials language that unifies its site. The resulting outcome blends an interdependent program of compatible operations into a machine-like facility, accommodating administrative, crew, equipment maintenance, fabrication, warehousing, equipment storage and fueling & wash functions. Transparency, a primary goal of the County, is apparent at every turn: pedestrian safety and security comes from the ability to see into, through, and beyond. Tough and industrial - yet appealing and professional - the work environments enhance communication, collaboration, safety, and team building, while conserving energy and material resources. In pursuit of LEED Gold, the project features a ground source heat exchange system and high efficiency HVAC equipment, coupled with passive strategies for shading, daylighting, and natural ventilation, achieving an EUI of 38 (kBTU/SF/Year) in the main building. The facility location, a 28 acre site in South Puyallup, has reduced annual maintenance travel costs by more than $100,000, and substantially reduced CO2 emissions. Deployed from a location designed for optimal work flow, staff and crew now exude a sense of elevated professionalism, strong productivity, and inter-divisional camaraderie. Like the white, blue, and chrome vehicles representative of Pierce County, six buildings reflect the crisp image and great pride this agency takes in its work, while affording County residents projected cost savings for decades to come.
2
Inviting to the community and employees, the approach to the Sewer and Traffic Operations campus combines innovative design with native landscaping, seamlessly transitioning a forested area into an industrial, yet humane facility. A public trail connects the site to nearby neighborhoods. Gabion walls recall the site’s former era as a gravel mine. 3
A
122 nd Street
1
20
17
6 7
primary crew entry/exit secondary crew entry/exit public trail residential neighborhood crew parking visitor parking entry plaza crew locker rooms offices crew dispatch rooms clean shops dirty shops vehicle fuel and wash light pole rack future expansion generator existing forest water quality pond rain gardens pervious concrete infiltration pond sm. vehicle & eqpt. storage enclosed vehicle parking covered parking tipping wall warehouse rainwater collection tank
8
5
A
B
19
10
section a
9 16
C
3
18
E
D
11
26
B
17
4
23 18 15
C
22 24
12
15
27 15
21
9 4 th Avenue
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
4
section b
LEGEND
F
19
D E
13
F
14 25 2
N
SITE PLAN
The project ambitiously combines solutions for operational efficiency with strategies for enhancing the surrounding semi-rural environment. 4
Building A presents a civic character and establishes the material palette for the campus; its roofline rises gently toward the main public road at the eastern edge of the recessed site. Reclaimed cedar sign posts identify main entry points at each building.
5
A common material language is extended throughout the campus. The break room opens to a covered, outdoor patio adjacent to a central avenue of circulation for staff and crew of all departments.
6
Reclaimed cedar - milled from the wooden posts of County road signs and stockpiled over several years - is extended inside as linear ceilings and signage at office and crew spaces. This singular move reduced waste, enhanced symbolism and positively impacted the project’s budget. 7
Fenestration - both clear and translucent - is generously used throughout the campus, bringing daylighting inside and offering the visibility that leads to safe, accountable activity. The daylit central corridor of Building A encourages crew and administrative staff to merge and interact.
8
Reclaimed cedar sign posts at key exterior locations and throughout the interior of Building A
Green roof deck
Pervious concrete
Operable windows in high corridor and perimeter offices promote natural ventilation
Broad overhangs at southern façade
High clerestory at internal corridor
Tall window apertures allow greater daylighting
Horizontal geo-exchange system provides heated floor slabs throughout the campus Interior window walls invite transparency and light into building core
Sustainable strategies contribute toward pursuit of a LEED Gold rating
Rain water collection tank provides process water for crews in street maintenance
9
lobby
office
PUBLIC
mudroom
ADMIN
CREW
Building ‘A’, Cross Section a
sign shop
crew gallery
ADMIN | CREW
CLEAN SHOP
striper bays
DIRTY SHOP
Buildings ‘A’ & ‘C, Cross Section b 10
LEGEND public administration traffic
This diagram from the early planning phase studies newly-discovered program adjacencies, massing, and the flow of people and equipment through and among the buildings.
sewer shared crew warehouse equipment maintenance vehicle flow people flow
11
Systems and materials were selected for economy, durability, sustainability and beauty.
12
Interior site landscaping and reclaimed cedar lumber are used throughout the campus to incorporate the surrounding natural habitat, and provide a humanized work environment in this otherwise industrial setting. Clerestory windows naturally light internal corridors and connect shop spaces within Building C.
13
The facility is designed for 24 hour operation to support the community during emergency events.
14
15
