Department heads caught their first glimpse, as a committee, of the architects' proposed design of the Moore County government office building Wednesday afternoon.

Architect Katherine Peele of the LS3P Boney firm displayed a series of sketches and a small model of the building, to be constructed of masonry and glass in a scaled-down version of almost 53,000 square feet.

"I think it will be a very gracious, welcoming facility," Peele told the committee.

Peele said she was seeking approval of the general concept and would prepare more detailed sketches for future scrutiny. She said the design will be adjusted to reflect suggestions and ideas advanced by committee members.

The two-story building will be erected on the 21-acre site that extends from Dowd Street to McNeill Street and Sunset Drive in Carthage. The property, bought for $1.5 million in 2007, also abuts the existing county jail, which is to be enlarged and renovated on the same tract, along with a public safety building.

"When you walk in, the public should have a good feeling and not feel boxed in," said County Commissioner Jimmy Melton. "I want people to feel comfortable, not feel like they're trapped. A lot of people come in here and already have a chip on their shoulder."

Melton said he was looking for a pleasant atmosphere for the public but one in which the visiting public would not disturb the work of the staff.

Peele said the design should accomplish those goals. She said that the building is being designed with public convenience in mind but with adequate separation from the public. The architect said the building should be easy to monitor.

Expanses of glass are planned for the south side of the structure, which will face toward McNeill Street, the name of the N.C. 22 route in Carthage. Peele said this is planned as part of the energy-efficiency aspect of the design. She said the windowed outer corridor should be so light during daytime that artificial lighting should not be needed. The plan calls for glass that will be insulated to protect from too much heat from the summer sun and too much cold from wind and rain in the winter.

The county commissioners' meeting room will be located near the first floor entrance and the main lobby, where monitors will be installed to accommodate the occasional overflow attendance. Also on the first floor will be offices for the Tax Office, the Department of Planning and Community Development, and the Environmental Health Division. Peele said these offices are most frequently visited by the public and are on the first floor for easy access.

On the second floor will be the county administration, county attorney, finance, human resources (personnel), geographic information service (mapping), and information technology (computer). A passenger elevator will be installed near the entrance of the building with a freight elevator at the rear.

The half-basement will contain mechanical equipment and provide storage space.

Adjacent to the Planning Department will be a room for board meetings when small attendance is expected. When a large crowd is expected, meetings can be moved to the commissioners' room.

Planning Director Joey Raczkowski said the smaller meeting room would be useful for meetings when less controversial subjects are on the agenda and also for other types of meetings, such as the Subdivision Review Board and the Board of Adjustment.

County Manager Cary McSwain said the design provides capability for internal expansion.

"It gives us tremendous flexibility for internal expansion," McSwain said of the design.

Tax Administrator Wayne Vest said the building layout not only gives his department more space to work but also puts his entire staff together in one location for the first time in many years. At one time tax personnel were scattered into offices on all four levels of the historic courthouse. Today, the Tax Department occupies the main floor and much of the basement.

"It will make our work flow a lot easier and will be a tremendous help to us," Vest said.

When questions were raised about making computer terminals easily available to the public, McSwain warned that terminals must be placed in areas where the staff can keep on eye on the equipment and on visitors. He said un-monitored computers can be an easy target for hackers.

Victor Walk, county projects director, said the glass expanse facing south will give visitors a view of a woodsy area filled with pine trees reflective of the county's natural history.

Melton questioned the size of the designated parking areas and said they did not appear to be quite large enough to accommodate both visitors and staff. He also suggested that the design should allow for future building expansion.

Peele said the Boney staff has had "some back and forth" with most county personnel whose offices will be moved to the new building and added that recommendations for changes and adjustments will be worked into an updated design.

As is the case with the detention center-public safety complex, the office building design has been scaled back to save money. The detention center is being designed to accommodate fewer inmates but with plans for future expansion as needed.

The Board of Commissioners has awarded contracts to the Boney and Ware-Bonsall (for the detention-public safety structure) architectural firms but has not as yet nailed down the means of payment. The commissioners must first approve the building designs before authorizing the architects to seek construction contract bids on the complex expected to cost $47 million.

Contact Florence Gilkeson at 947-4962 or by e-mail at florence@thepilot.com.