REST AREA PROTOTYPE MDOT

“A rest area is a unique oasis in Montana”

Size
Unavailable

Completed
2002

Client
Facilities – MDOT

Across some vast expanses of our state, it may be the only comfortable place for miles to stop, stretch your legs and have a picnic. This isolation can be powerful and inspiring, but it can also become an issue for both the building and its users. The Department of Transportation’s objective was to develop a new prototype rest area for the state that would address the issues of safety, aesthetics and energy efficiency.

Sweet Grass, MT

Drawings

Full Description

A rest area is a unique oasis in Montana. Across some vast expanses of our state, it may be the only comfortable place for miles to stop, stretch your legs and have a picnic. This isolation can be powerful and inspiring, but it can also become an issue for both the building and its users. The Department of Transportation’s objective was to develop a new prototype rest area for the state that would address the issues of safety, aesthetics and energy efficiency.

The Sweet Grass rest area included ‘ground source heat pump’ heating and cooling systems, earth shelter strategies, natural daylight and shading of summer sun to reduce its energy use demands. The facility is fully visible from the parking lot and men and women share a common lobby to ensure that an isolated building feels safe for users.

Sustainable Design

Ground Source Heat Pump
Earth Shelter
Seasonal Daylighting Strategies

COMMITTED TO DESIGNING SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE WITH A FOCUS ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

Grid View

List View

Rendezvous Dining Hall – “One of the most beautiful buildings in our state, everything about it, radiates quality, light, life and energy.”
Waded Cruzado
President, Montana State University