134th Civil Engineer Squadron earns design award

LOUISVILLE, TN, UNITED STATES

12.01.2018

Courtesy Story

134th Air Refueling Wing

Designs for a recently constructed building at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base earned the 134th Civil Engineer Squadron an Air Force Design merit award.

Craig R. McKinley Hall, constructed in 2017 to house the I. G. Brown Training and Education Center, was one of five facilities to receive a merit award this year from the Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC).

Three more facilities placed in the higher “Honor Awards” category.

A three-person jury compared Air Force-wide design entries with predetermined criteria like cost control, energy efficiency, functionalism and sustainability, explained David Duncan, AFCEC Senior Architect and Air Force Design Awards Program manager.

“These outstanding designs set the bar high and help inspire future innovation, leading to continual design improvement and success,” Duncan said.

The McKinley Hall Training and Education Center (TEC) features state-of-the-art energy efficiency technology, including low flow plumbing, high efficiency water heaters and HVAC systems, daylight sensing lights and thermally efficient glass that allows natural light to enter the building without heating it.

The 134th CES contracted local design firm C2RL Inc., of nearby Alcoa, to create the TEC’s sustainable design. Howard W. Pence & Sons Inc., of Kentucky, constructed the building.

“A large portion of the building was created with recycled material, and about 65 percent of our construction waste was diverted from landfills into recyclable material,” said Capt. Travis Vaughn, contracting officer representative.

The building includes several features to handle stormwater responsibly, including low-maintenance rockscaping, permeable pavers and underground detention chambers that mitigate the effects of storm surges and runoff by releasing water slowly into the ground.

Energy efficient LED fixtures light a student courtyard and walkways around the building.

“Overall, we are just extremely proud of the hard work the 134th CES put in with the design and construction companies,” Vaughn said. “We are pleased with the results, and students at the TEC have been well served with the new building.”

Inside, the TEC furnishes between eight and thirteen classrooms of different sizes by means of sound deadening partitions that fold up into the ceiling. Each wall has built-in whiteboard panels.

Recycling sorters are located in hallways throughout the building, supporting the Air Force’s “Win the war against waste” campaign.

The 134th CES and C2RL designed the building’s student dorms to accommodate visiting students with physical or hearing disabilities. Several of the 97 rooms available include accessibility features.

More than 11,000 students attended courses at the TEC last year, Vaughn said. “The new classroom and dormitories has had a significant impact on our ability to host Active Duty, Guard, Reserve and outside agencies.”

Representatives from the 134th CES and the construction team picked up their award in November at the AFCEC Design and Construction Partnering Symposium in San Antonio, Tx.

• Date Taken: 12.01.2018
• Date Posted: 12.02.2018 14:30
• Story ID: 301957
• Location: LOUISVILLE, TN, US
• Hometown: LOUISVILLE, TN, US