The site formerly served as the city’s maintenance facility, and was once used as a railroad yard. It’s neighbors are a warehouse, a city water storage tank, and an active rail line and yard. Access is from Avenue 45 along the north side.

As a headquarters for multiple city departments, the building program called for administrative offices, a warehouse, and vehicle maintenance. Locker rooms and crew facilities were required for field personnel, as well as workshops for fabrication, carpentry, and painting. The maintenance area provided for light and heavy vehicle service bays and a tire shop. The entry lobby required a reception desk, access to a conference room, and a bill-pay window for Water Authority customers. Required site improvements consisted of material storage, fueling, waste transfer and parking for vehicles and equipment.

In response to vehicle access and site constraints, the architect’s design solution is an L-shaped building with one wing occupied by the Public Works and IWA administration, crew, and workshop spaces, and the second wing housing vehicle maintenance bays. The warehouse is positioned at the vertex of the “L” while the lobby is designed as a dramatic focal point for public and vendor interaction. The yard is secured and gated. Site circulation is optimized around vehicle/equipment parking and a covered fuel island.

The architect proposed a deliberate aesthetic departure from the local vernacular, setting a progressive tone for this and future civic facilities in Indio. A palette of steel, aluminum, glass and cellulose composite panels was blended with slate, exterior plaster, and split-faced masonry. The natural colors and textures anchor the project in its desert roots while the synthetic materials look to the future. The single-story structure required high vertical clearance in the vehicle bays and warehouse, however, the architect emphasized the building’s horizontality through metal panels and CMU banding.

Located in the low desert environment, Indio is comfortable most of the year, though summers can be extreme. Although the client did not desire LEED certification, sustainable practices were applied. An existing brownfield was re-used. Materials are locally produced, recycled, and recyclable throughout. To save on cooling costs, direct low-E glazing is provided on the north elevation only; southern exposures are protected by deep overhangs and awnings. Lighting costs are reduced by use of indirect natural light from north-facing monitors on the administration wing and a clerestory over the maintenance wing. The repair bays are refreshed by evaporative coolers. Concrete masonry was used throughout for its durability and thermal lag. A high-albedo “cool” roof was employed. Water conserving fixtures and irrigation were used. Landscaping was minimized and selected for its suitability to the climate.

The Indio Corporate Yard provides a civic presence to a service facility, is environmentally responsible, and will serve the needs of its growing community for many years to come.