Louisiana dealership wins design award

Hebert's Town & Country Chrysler-Plymouth-Jeep in Shevreport, LA, is one of the first dealership facilities built according to Chrysler's new appearance prototype.

It also won an American Buildings Co.'s national design and construction award in competition involving more than 1,200 building contractors in North America.

The 42,000-sq.-ft. structure consists of three joined metal building "systems." At the front, a glass entryway, topped by a Chrysler logo, opens into a showroom area with a 30-ft. high ceiling.

A 4,000-sq.-ft. mezzanine area contains executive and accounting offices. Skylights provide natural lighting in the service area. Exterior walls are synthetic stucco and metal panels.

The facility cost about $3 million and took a year to build.