Government Center
The center consists of a 56,000-sq.-ft. city hall, a 28,000-sq.-ft. library, a 30,000-sq.-ft. sheriff’s facility, and a 15,000-sq.-ft. fire department. All these elements are choreographed around a central plaza that becomes the heart of civic life for this new community.
In creating a 'civic heart' where none existed before, native planting are used to anchor the complex to the region while saving water. As visitor arrives at the entry to the plaza they are greeted by a grove of oaks trees and a reclaimed water feature wall that cools the entry and acts as an acoustical buffer for the interior spaces.
In collaborative design workshops with the community, a local history and environmental narrative was created with displays throughout the complex. The natural stone accents are profiled to announce the entries on the building and are an abstraction of the surrounding hills, which are visible from the site.
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