Promoting sustainable economic growth through comprehensive planning, affordable housing, and transit services is this Western Iowa Council of Governments’ mission. Their new facility consolidates previously scattered divisions to improve services for constituents in their seven-county, three-state region.
Located on the eastern edge of Sioux City, Iowa, the facility includes three elements: offices to the south, vehicular storage and maintenance to the north, and shared program spaces between the north and south.
The office element provides open and private office space. The glazed south facade maximizes daylight and views, while a solar overhang provides shade and shelter. This feature helps modulate interior temperatures, minimizing heat gains in the summer and maximizing them in the winter.
The 24,574-sf vehicular storage bay provides 35 temperature-controlled bus parking spaces to help extend the fleet’s lifecycle. This volume is designed to convert to three rows and two lanes to accommodate smaller autonomous vans in the future. Two maintenance bays and a wash bay provide on-site services. Over 100,00 riders are served annually, and over 1,500 visitors use the facility’s community/training space to the east.
Early volumetric design studies resulted in a highly efficient design, with a VRF mechanical system, daylight harvesting strategies, and light controls boosting operational performance. The roofs were designed to accept solar arrays in the future, and pathways for future vehicle electrification are in place. The facility was completed at $238/sf, and a future expansion is planned to the west.
