Laredo Vehicle Maintenance Canopy
Laredo, Texas

Arizpe’s design for the vehicle maintenance canopy in Laredo is indicative of our firm’s design approach. The program was simply to provide a shade device to protect workers from the sun while performing vehicle maintenance. We started with research on the end-user, the Chemical Corps, and studied their history, motto, colors and insignia. Roughly translated from Latin, the corps’ motto is “Let us rule the battle by means of the elements.” In this case however, the motto was inverted, and the harsh elements of the sun were ruling them.

To regain control over the elements, the roof plane was sloped to the south to facilitate future solar panels allowing the building to be at Net-Zero, thereby inverting a negative attribute to a positive one. The orientation of the structural members was inverted to further emphasize the concept. The roof angle evokes the gentle slope of the retort, a symbol used in the corps’ insignia. The slope also allows for a passive wind flow similar to a slow wind tunnel. Blue perforated metal panel shade devices and a yellow substructure for lighting incorporate the corps’ colors.

In conjunction with the Adjutant General’s Department’s architect, Arizpe developed a task lighting and electrical distribution structure that is a prototype for other maintenance facilities across the state. The vehicle maintenance canopy also incorporates 100% high-powered, high-efficiency LED lighting.