With the aim of consolidating five public works departments into one campus, the City of Bend, Ore., wanted a facility that would serve long-term growth while being designed with resiliency, well-being and energy efficiency.

The material that helped pull the City of Bend Public Works Campus project together was A606 Weathering Steel from The Bryer Company. Hennebery Eddy Architects, headquartered in Portland, Ore., specified 102,360 square feet of A606 Weathering Steel for the exterior walls.

“We designed a campus that preserves the natural features of the site and responds to the central Oregon climate,” says Camilla Cok, AIA, Principal at Hennebery Eddy Architects’ Bend studio. “The campus buildings, oriented to maximize solar and energy performance, are located at natural grades, between the natural rock outcroppings and mature trees.”

Cok says all buildings were clad in a vertical box-rib weathering steel siding that will withstand the harsh desert climate and meet the city’s goals of resiliency, durability and low maintenance.

“The siding’s rich rust color and repetitive vertical lines create dynamic ‘shadow play’ in the desert sun and become a beautiful backdrop to the dusty sage brush and dessert landscape,” Cok says. “Interior spaces of the building promote well-being by exposing low-embodied carbon concrete and mass timber structure and maximizing daylight and views to the desert and Cascade Mountains beyond.”

Delivered through progressive design build delivery, Kirby Nagelhout Construction Company of Bend partnered with Hennebery Eddy Architects and served as the general contractor on the project. The 22-gauge A606 Weathering Steel was installed by Skyline Sheet Metal of Troutdale, Ore.

“The A606 Weathering Steel proved to be an excellent material, from both a fabrication and installation standpoint,” says Kory Carman, Senior Project Manager for Skyline Sheet Metal. “One of its biggest advantages is the durability of the finish; there’s no need to worry about scratching or damaging a prefinished surface during slitting, fabrication, shipping or installation. That alone is a major benefit on a project of this scale.”

Because rainfall is limited in the area, Skyline Sheet Metal developed an in-house pre-treatment process to accelerate the weathering of the material.

“To our knowledge, this approach is fairly unique,” Carman says. “By pre-rusting all panels and flashings after fabrication, we were able to achieve the desired aesthetic immediately, rather than relying on natural exposure over time. This also allowed us to maintain a more consistent and uniform finish across the building.”

Carman says they learned one important lesson working with more than 100,000 square feet of A606: managing the mill-applied oil film.

“We found that wiping the material down with isopropyl alcohol prior to fabrication significantly reduced the oil transfer, keeping both our equipment and shop environment cleaner and safer,” Carman says.

He says the Bend Public Works Campus stands out as one of his favorite projects.

“The level of collaboration and the opportunity to contribute creatively made it especially rewarding,” Carman says. “The success of the project is a direct result of a strong team effort, including Hennebery Eddy Architects, Kirby Nagelhout Construction, Brandon Robbins of Skyline Sheet Metal and Doug Gosslee of The Bryer Company. Their combined efforts resulted in a unique structure that truly stands above industry standards.”

Everyone considers the $130 million project a success.

“We are thrilled to have the City of Bend’s public works departments moved into the campus, using it as intended, fostering cross-department efficiencies, experiencing a healthy and flexible workplace that is resilient, energy efficient and enhances well-being,” Cok says. “The robust and durable weathering steel siding is a bold and beautiful feature of the campus that meets both the design goals and the goals of the city.”

For the Bryer Company, it’s a signature project.

“Over my 17 years in the steel industry, I have had the opportunity to work with Kory and Skyline Sheet Metal on many different projects,” says Gosslee, regional sales representative at Bryer. “This one is in my hometown and I was thrilled to be a part of it. The A606 has a central Oregon feel to it that blends right into the natural landscape. Skyline Sheet Metal has always done amazing work on projects we’ve partnered on and the results of the A606 is truly and amazing site.”