The Capital Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS) Tucker Hill Lane Campus is a 14-acre site designed to facilitate CARTS’ bus fleet maintenance along with their operations headquarters. The campus manages the buses and other vehicles that provide community-based transportation services in a nine-county district for rural/urban commuting. The buildings are designed with simple curved shapes and metal siding to recall the past agrarian structures familiar in this farming landscape. Contemporary roof extensions and steel trellises respond to sun angles for passive energy efficiency. A goal of the project was to create open, airy, and healthy building environments for all employees, whether it be an office or maintenance shop setting. Breezeways and clerestories were also utilized for natural ventilation.
This project was the first building in the country to be built in strict compliance with the Buy America Act, which required all materials to be sourced and manufactured in the USA.
