Salem Public Works Operations Building

Project Vision
The role of Public Works Department is to keep the city running and enable its citizens to thrive through maintenance and management of natural resources. In recognition of this work, the design captures the moment where public work operations and the outdoors meet through durable natural materials crafted in ways that express their connection with nature. Three gabled buildings forms emulate the industrial context and are offset to create welcoming plazas lined with native plantings and stormwater planters.Central shared gathering space unite the form and build community amongst diverse departments of field and office workers, while also providing choice in ways to work and collaborate. A mass timber structure supports mass plywood decking and is exposed throughout the building and set against a simple palette of steely tones, the pattern of untreated hot rolled steel, exposed aggregate concrete, and seating that harkens to a leather work glove. Priority was placed on material durability, climate resiliency, and human health.

Key Features
The new Salem Public Works Operations Building is designed with an abundance of natural light and collaboration space. The central lobby with high bay space and clearstory lights above the second floor offices ensures a bright; low energy use office space. This also affords the teams in the building to be visually connected to the field crews and the other outbuildings surrounding the site.

Roadblock Overcame
The coordination and integration of the mechanical and electrical building systems provided a formidable challenge in a building with a fully exposed timber structure and ceiling. Hacker and Howard S Wright engaged the engineers and sub contracted trades early in the design. Using 3D BIM Coodination to ensure the visible elements of the building systems were well integrated into the overall character of each respective space. As a public works building there was an alignment of the design and organizational values: just as the work of the individual departments would be celebrated and displayed, so would the operational components of the building.