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Architects: RNL Design
- Area: 164200 ft²
- Year: 2010
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Photographs:James Steinkamp
Text description provided by the architects. RNL, in association with Forum Architects, and Maintenance Design Group (MDG), was selected to design South Bend Public Transportation Corporation’s (TRANSPO) Emil “Lucky” Reznik Administration, Maintenance & Operations Facility. Incorporating sustainable design and construction strategies for energy efficient building systems, the facility creates a healthy work environment for employees and visitors. The project is certified as LEED-NC Platinum by the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.
The Reznik facility provides contemporary maintenance areas for bus operations as well as housing administration space, bus storage, training and conference areas, employee break rooms, locker areas, and exterior work areas. All bus and maintenance areas are contained within the building, which allows all necessary daily functions, including washing and fueling, to occur regardless of inclement weather.
As a facility designed to meet TRANSPO’s future needs, operational and life-cycle cost efficiencies are inherent in the building’s design and material selections. Daylighting allows natural light to penetrate deep into the facility, reducing the need for artificial light during the day. The impact on the city’s storm sewer is negated because all storm water is retained on site to percolate and recharge the aquifer and create several native ecologies, including wetlands and non-irrigated grasslands. From the start, sustainability and long-term costs were of the utmost importance to TRANSPO. This allowed the design team to challenge the status quo of vehicle maintenance projects, and create an architecture that is timeless, award winning and reduces direct operating costs while increasing transportation service to the community.
