Reedy Creek Improvement District Administration Office/ Lake Buena Vista, Florida/ 1997
When the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) needed a new home, Jahn delivered a bold design free from the theatrics of its neighbor, the Walt Disney World Corporation. The building, which houses the special taxing body of the locale in which the theme park resides, instead exemplifies graphical clarity and subtle efficiency.
A simple, square plan is chambered at the corners to create ascending skylights on two sides and sloped overhangs opposite. The building is clad with floor-to-floor glass walls and completed at the corners with vegetated trellis structures, which outline the original cubic composition and connect the building to the lush landscape. The façade is double-glazed with coated heat-reflective glass and interior horizontal blinds. Due to its compact shape, the wall area is minimized, and the building is inherently energy efficient with maximum daylight.
A departure from the norm, the RCID Administration Building emphasizes the independence of its namesake while exploring the essential components of modern architectural design: space and the nature of materials.
