Interstate highway rest stops can be godsends during long-distance road trips, and they also offer states a chance to burnish their reputations with out-of-state travelers. This is why Indiana has begun a 10-year, $600 million effort to bring 21 of its interstate rest areas and welcome centers up to date.
The Pigeon Creek Welcome Center on I-69 in Steuben County was the first to be completed, and its design pays homage to the area’s agricultural roots. Contributing to the barnlike structure’s rural stylings is a standing-seam metal roof that’s also sure to provide decades of service for the roadway’s drivers.
The new facilities are being planned to reflect the culture and activities of their surrounding regions. Steuben County, located in northeast Indiana, is largely rural and known for its outdoor recreation opportunities – one of its nicknames is, “the land of 101 lakes” – which include the 1,260-acre Pokagon State Park.
The design team, which included Evansville, Ind.-based Fosse & Associates Architects and the Indianapolis office of DLZ drew on agricultural and outdoor themes in developing their plans. The exterior grounds even include a small silo, boldly emblazoned with an ‘Indiana Welcomes You” sign.
The main body of the standing seam metal roof features a curve, with a topping clerestory structure that incorporates a more traditional gable-style roof. The combination creates a contemporary “modern farmhouse” appearance. The design team, along with installers from Milford, Ind.-based Millwood Roofing & Construction, turned to Petersen to supply the PAC-CLAD roofing panels.
Approximately 12,000 sq. ft. of the company’s Tite-Loc panels, fabricated from 22-gauge steel and finished in Classic Silver, were used in the project. An additional 2,500 sq. ft. of Petersen’s Flush panels in Bone White were used for the building’s fascia.
Editors: If images are published the following credit is required: Photos: hortonphotoinc.com