Architect of Record: PlanOne
Construction Drawing Production +
Exterior Facade Designer: Gregory Mason
Location: Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Teton County
Covering a building in an abstracted log and chinking steel skin, highway guardrail profiled metal panels and curved culverts isn't exactly what the WYDOT officials had in mind when they first envisioned their new facility a few miles south of Jackson Hole. What was clear is that this 50,000sf facility in an agricultural setting would be a flagship building as you enter the community.
Driver's License, Highway Patrol, Engineering, Maintenance and massive Vehicle Storage for its plow fleet are all housed under one roof. To reduce visual scale of the building, it was broken up into three different masses and utilized heavily vegetated landscape berms. Approximately two thirds of the building is submerged in the ground with natural grasses and trees hiding its true size.
In order to blend the facility into its agricultural setting, different design ideas were inspired from western cabins and barn construction. The majority of the facade is wrapped in an insulated horizontal structural steel panel that spans between internal supports. The panels were detailed into a "high tech" smooth skin that reinterprets log and chinking on old cabins.
The long facades were also broken up using a rhythm of bays and clerestory that dump natural light deep into the interior through translucent wall panels.
Highway guardrails inspired the design of the deep profiled metal panels that are used as an accent around the building. Curved metal culverts were reinterpreted into entry canopies that surround the exterior.
Landscaping and screening helps reduce the 50,000sf buildings visual impact from the highway.
Administrative functions were placed facing the public to reduce the scale of the facility.
Duel entry into different divisions of WYDOT anchor the facade.
Steel culvert and highway guardrail profile formed concrete inspired design.
Half the site was reclaimed into wetlands to balance out the excessive hard surfaces of the remaining property.
Log and chinking inspired the horizontal insulated steel skin siding.
Deep bays and long clerestory create rhythms that break up the large facade,
Solid and translucent bay rhythm allows natural light deep into the building.
Solid and translucent bay rhythm allows natural light deep into the building.
Large overhead doors were designed to accent sides of the building.
Highway guardrail inspired the deep profile of the steel facade.
Log and chinking inspired the horizontal insulated steel skin siding.
