Operational Buildings: Dames Point Terminal, Jaxport

The new Dames Point Container Terminal at the Port of Jacksonville opened for business in early 2009. This is the newest operating terminal for Trans Pacific Transportation Service (TraPac) and their first on the east coast of the United States. The 158-acre greenfield site is carefully situated amongst coastal wetlands on the St. Johns River, consisting of a two-berth wharf, container yard storage, truck gate complex, and operational buildings. The group of 11 buildings and canopies located on the site include a three-story administration building, maintenance & repair building, crane maintenance building, yard operations building, customs examination station, and gate canopies. Each building was planned with its function and proper location in mind in conjunction with the overall terminal planning process. Particular attention was paid to developing a cohesive design aesthetic that would create a campus setting and a strong visual identity for the terminal and TraPac. With the terminal located adjacent to State Road 9-A, there was a strong opportunity to create a facility that will be easily recognizable to the public, thereby providing a positive business character. Common building elements such as curved metal roofing, precast concrete wall panels, and aluminum window systems create a continuous thread that visually ties the buildings together into a single composition. This paper will provide an overview of the architecture in one of the nation's newest container terminals. Technological systems have been integrated into the building design to provide facilities that efficiently support the marine terminal operations. It will present major elements of the architectural programming and terminal planning process and the transformation of the design into the resulting constructed buildings. The specific arrangement of spaces within each building will illustrate their relationship to the activities and processes conducted outside in the terminal. The paper will also touch on the use of common materials and utility systems to allow for efficient facility maintenance, minimizing the amount of spare parts and materials that will need to be stored on site. It will conclude with a discussion about the design process with the client and feedback on their use of the facilities since the terminal opening.