IQ Summer 2011: The Federal Issue - (Page 30)

HEALTHCARE UPDATE// Natural light and air circulation help reduce energy costs and also contribute to a welcoming aesthetic. but wanted room size to exceed ADA compliance standards. Standard security design requirements were essential but NAVFAC also wanted as many rooms as possible to feature views of picturesque Lake O’Neil. NAVFAC’s requirement for traffic flow, a central point of entry for security reasons and two wings to minimize distance to the core section, could easily have produced an institutional building. However, the design of the reception area is open and welcoming thanks to different thinking from Barnhart Balfour Beatty. The team shortened the corridors by breaking the wings into separate, angled bays. Community areas are large open spaces, with flexible seating that accommodates television viewing. Amenities include interactive gaming spaces, building-wide WiFi, a library, kitchen and laundry facilities and vending space. A balcony overlooks the central common area. Barnhart Balfour Beatty’s work included demolition of existing outdoor facilities and replacing them with new, accessible sidewalks, earthwork, grading, paved parking and new power poles and electrical distribution. Outside, a second-story deck provides additional access to the outdoors, with sheltered seating below. Basketball and volleyball courts and access to hiking trails encourage activity. A barbecue station and picnic area and scattered shade structures and seating provide spaces for both socializing and solitude. The entire landscape was designed to provide easy access between the main structure and all its amenities, while allowing for additional facilities in the future, which are currently being built by Barnhart Balfour Beatty. A new Hope and Care Center and battalion headquarters is rising near the barracks. The current battalion headquarters is more than 50 years old and is crowded and far from optimal. The additional buildings are designed to provide maximum flexibility to accommodate any future changes in purpose; the open floor plan can be reconfigured to suit many needs. The Hope and Care Center will also have this flexible design, allowing it to change with the battalion’s changing needs. SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS NAV FAC originally aimed for LEED® Gold certification. However, Sean Hulan, principalin-charge of the project, says that three or four months into construction the team realized that 30 summer//2011 the quarterly publication of the design-build institute of america

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IQ Summer 2011: The Federal Issue

IQ Summer 2011: The Federal Issue