Investing in a well-organized, thoughtful process of program and performance criteria development results in substantial resource conservation and productivity with a culture of employee ownership and positive morale.

The Johns Prairie Operations Center culminates nearly 5 years of collaboration between Mason County Public Utility District (PUD) No. 3 and TCF Architecture. The PUD’s administrative, engineering, and crew functions, formerly in separate facilities, saddled the organization with built-in inefficiencies and a somewhat fragmented staff. A thorough programming process, with the goal of bringing all departments together, led to a visionary master plan for the 50-acre site, owned by PUD No. 3 on the outskirts of Shelton, WA. The design of the 142,000 sf, 22-acre operations campus is designed to house over 115 administrative staff and crew with room to grow.

Refined yet industrial, the facility’s aesthetic of concrete, steel, masonry, and wood reflects the merging of administrative and crew functions and cultures. The west end of the Administration building houses a large auditorium used for PUD Commission meetings and is also available for public use. As a gesture to the timber industry in Mason County, this space is constructed with local wood species, such as douglas fir and cedar, that contribute to the local economy.