Project Abstract

This project was the replacement of an existing (and characterless) rest facility that was determined beyond repair or remodel. This project occupies the original rest stop site which avoided disruption of the existing adjacent desert tortoise habitat. The isolation of the site preclude significant community involvement.

-- Excerpt from Valley Wells Roadside Rest Area Submission Form --

Overview

Valley Wells roadside rest area presents a site specific answer to a rest stop in an isolated desert area. The project provides a large and unique shaded plaza area with architecture that directly references the mining history of the area, down to the hanging letter of the rest area building, which is reminiscent of a sign on an abandoned mine. Lighting and site furnishing further support a sense of place specific and unique to Valley Wells. Interpretive elements are integral rather than added: walkways incorporate tracks of animals and footprints of people who inhabited the site before the construction of the interstate. Building materials and colors were developed from cues on the actual site. Additional interpretive material is already in development which will be installed as a second phase to the rest stop.

CSS Qualities: Process

This project represents the intensive cross-linking of maintenance, design, the Desert Managers Group, and site development. Caltrans Maintenance and Engineering determined rest room design and water use. Caltrans Landscape Architecture and Engineering cross-linked to site buildings in ways that minimized grading and framed vistas. The interpretive project which resulted is a cooperative inclusion of input from the Desert Managers Group and ADA design.

CSS Qualities: Outcomes

The primary purpose of a rest area is to provide a safe location to break driver monotony, refocus driver energy, and provide basic road information and rest rooms in isolated areas. Valley Wells provides all these basic functions, and, by pointing users to a greater awareness of the history and uniqueness of the desert they are passing through, ensures a greater appreciation for them. The success of the first stage of construction of Valley Wells Rest Area has been proven by the number of users. On weekends (customarily the time of greatest traffic) the parking lot and the site itself are well populated. Such a high level of use demonstrates that the public, given a choice, prefers solutions that capture and reflect a unique sense of place.

   Valley Wells Roadside Rest Area Submission Form

   Site Plan Valley Wells