Acton, CA, CA – Sitework for the Mojave Rivers Ranger Station, a 12,000-square-foot wood structural system that is innovative in its combination of features and details that satisfied high seismic zone demands while also realizing the designer’s vision for the desert context.

The client’s goals for a sustainable building that would visually blend into the remote environment of the Mojave Desert had to be balanced against the need for a building envelope that would withstand the desert climate’s extremes while meeting challenging seismic performance requirements. Inverted king-post glulam trusses provide reliable structure while creating an airy volume for the interior spaces, and exposed natural wood finishes add to the project’s warm aesthetic. Outside, wood trellises were added to shade the interior from both high and low azimuth sun angles. The LEED Gold-certified building, which used FSC-certified wood, achieved energy performance that is 33.6 percent better than the Title 24 baseline without sacrificing performance in aesthetics, comfort, habitability, or function.