Bend’s new public works campus will centralize five critical departments and 300 employees into one location, enhancing operational efficiency essential for year-round safety while accommodating the city’s long-term growth. The 35.5-acre site includes administrative and employee support spaces, fleet maintenance, shop and warehouse facilities, vehicle wash and storage spaces, and other specialized areas. Set among volcanic rock outcroppings, juniper forest, and sagebrush, the campus design integrates the large and complex program into a previously undeveloped site while retaining the natural character of the high desert.
Extensive modelling informed designs that maximize daylight and views to the Cascade Mountains, promote energy efficiency, and reduce embodied carbon. A three-story, 45,500-square-foot headquarters building houses adaptable, activity-based workspaces; a welcoming lobby and gathering area, both with expansive window walls; and an upper-floor terrace. This primary building features low-carbon concrete and cross-laminated timber for its structure and finishes, while a mass plywood structure is used at the operations and fleet maintenance buildings. All the buildings and site structures are clad in weathering steel for visual compatibility with the surrounding site, low maintenance, and durability.
Aligned with Bend’s Strategic Energy Management and Climate Action Plans, the highly resilient campus meets the Energy Trust of Oregon’s Path to Net Zero standards and is designed to be fully electric, net-zero energy, and LEED Gold certified. Currently under construction and expected to be complete in late 2025, the project is being delivered via a progressive design-build partnership with Kirby Nagelhout Construction Company.