Local Talent Leads the Design for the Sonoma-Marin Rail’s Sustainable Operation and Maintenance Facility

SANTA ROSA, Calif.--Winzler & Kelly (www.w-and-k.com), in partnership with TLCD Architecture (www.tlcd.com), was recently selected to provide design services for the Operations and Maintenance Facility that will serve SMART’s passenger rail and trail system. SMART, short for the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District, has received voter approved funding to reinvigorate the 70-mile long rail corridor between Cloverdale in Sonoma County and Larkspur Landing in Marin County. SMART’s vibrant passenger rail service and accompanying recreational trail will provide a real alternative to passenger car travel. The Operations and Maintenance Facility is the key component of the overall program: this facility will house staff, be the control center for train operations, be the layover site for the vehicles, provide storage for maintenance of way, house all maintenance activities, and will receive SMART’s vehicle fleet for operational testing prior to start-up of rail service in 2014. SMART’s strong commitment to sustainable design solutions means the operations and maintenance facility will be designed to meet LEED ® standards, providing the community with long-term value for its investment in public infrastructure. Both Winzler & Kelly and TLCD Architecture are based in Santa Rosa California, local to SMART’s passenger service route.

“We’re excited about this project which is critical to maintaining the SMART experience”

“We’re excited about this project which is critical to maintaining the SMART experience,” says Marc Solomon, Vice President with Winzler & Kelly. “SMART’s whole program is about creating a sustainable transportation alternative and the Operations and Maintenance Facility is the place where SMART preserves the community’s investment in its infrastructure. We have offices in Santa Rosa and San Francisco and employees who live along the whole corridor. SMART’s program will literally provide our firm with a better way to get around, so we are investing in making sure it works well. Working with TLCD Architecture, a firm that is not only talented but also shares our commitment to the high-quality of life we enjoy in Sonoma County, makes this a great opportunity to design a valuable community asset.”

Winzler & Kelly is a multidisciplinary engineering and environmental consulting firm with offices throughout California, Oregon and Micronesia. An Engineering News Record Top 500 Firm, Winzler & Kelly emphasizes sustainable design, value engineered solutions and innovation.

“SMART’s commitment to the local community and to sustainable design makes this an intriguing opportunity for our firm,” says Mark Adams, Associate Principal with TLCD Architecture. “These types of public facilities always provide long-term public value. When they are designed to be attractive, efficient and sensitive to resource use, they become community jewels. We look forward to working with Winzler & Kelly on this assignment not only because their engineering staff is committed to solid design practices, but also because they embrace solutions that reduce costs and environmental impacts to provide continuous value.”

TLCD Architecture is an award winning regional practice founded in 1965. While designing buildings that comprise the core infrastructure of society, their focus on each project is unique in recognition of the characteristics of the site, community priorities, and specific client objectives.

For this assignment, Winzler & Kelly and TLCD Architecture are teamed with Denver Colorado’s Maintenance Design Group, a national firm that specializes in the design of spaces devoted to the maintenance of publicly-owned fleets. Before teaming on the SMART assignment, Winzler & Kelly, TLCD Architecture and Maintenance Design Group completed the long term program for Mendocino Transit Authority’s maintenance facility and the programming and design of the City of Santa Rosa’s West College Utilities Facility. The $20 million dollar West College Facility is an operations and maintenance center that employs a range of energy and water conservation solutions and serves as an object lesson in sustainable site development.

Of interest to editors and journalists covering: sustainable design, public transit and transit-oriented development, investments in public infrastructure and local business contributions to the economy