Military Building Designed to Meet LEED Silver Standards

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Construction on the combined headquarters for Forces Command and U.S. Army Reserve Command at North Carolina’s Fort Bragg, one of the state’s largest construction projects currently underway, has been completed. The building has been constructed to LEED Silver standards and will be certified as such in 2012.

 

The 600,000-square-foot, $302 million project will open in summer 2011.

 

Starting in 2013, all new buildings on military bases must attain standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council for LEED Silver. The headquarters building, including features such as environmentally friendly furniture, raised floors to allow for the movement of boxes that contain power outlets and internet connections, the ability to control office temperature, lighting sensors, increased natural light, ventilation systems for rooms containing office machinery to reduce indoor pollution and sealant, paint and carpets that emit low amounts of chemical odors as they age.

 

The building’s walls are made of “thin” brick (precast panels) the roof will be painted white to reflect sunlight and keep the building cool during the summer months.

 

Recycled building materials such as old ballpark fences were also used old asphalt from the groundbreaking was crushed for use in other construction projects. Approximately 1,200 pine trees were planted to offset the number removed during construction.

 

The USGBC says that when the headquarters building receives its LEED Silver certification it will be the fifth-largest building of its kind in North Carolina.