Located along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, the Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF) ties its styling and material makeup to the physics of aerodynamics, the craft of constructing and maintaining aircraft, as well as the regional language of Colorado. This new home of Colorado Army National Guard Aviation functions as a maintenance and state flight operations facility for a fleet of “Blackhawk” (UH-60) and “Chinook” (CH-47) helicopters.

The AASF is a representation of elegance, function and place. It harnesses the dry climate with natural xeriscaping, and the use of masonry, glass and sleek metals “uplifts” the building to a commanding presence. Long, crisp lines, dynamic composition of airfoil forms, and high articulation of both traditional and modern materials represents the beauty of flight. The representation of lightness in the construction detailing gives the appearance of the building taking flight.

“Army Green”

The United States Federal government has made the decision to get more for its dollar when spending the taxpayer’s money on government facilities. Through a mandated program, all federal funding spent on military construction projects beginning in 2008 will require that projects achieve a minimum of a Silver certification through the LEED program. More efficient facilities can be developed with longer life expectancies, lower operating and maintenance costs, and healthier environments for their occupants. The goal is to tackle design decisions regarding upfront costs and future savings early in the process.

The AASF is currently in the process of LEED Gold certification. Results and final certification of Gold or Silver should be made later this year. Many of the points attempted are evidence of the materials and product selections made as an integral part of the design.

“Our Guard men and women benefit on a daily basis from such an environment,” says Bob Datson, Deputy Branch Manager of Military Construction, Colorado Department of Military and Veteran Affairs. “This will positively benefit the recruitment and retention aspects of our organization.

Sustainable Design and Materials

Daylighting, energy optimization and innovation are key design achievements for the AASF. Ninety-six percent of occupied spaces within the AASF have daylight access. In addition to the connection to the exterior views and a comfortable work environment within occupied spaces, natural daylighting offers a major operating cost break, resulting in savings of more than $10,000 per year. The strategy for daylighting includes diffused natural light into the hangar volumes through the use of translucent wall panels and skylights, as well as the use of a light shelf over the hangar bays to bounce light into the hangars. A rigorous study by CH2MHILL pinpointed trouble spots in the floor plan and remedied these with articulation of the building skin and roof. In the administrative areas of the building, more care was given to the use of clerestory lighting in circulation zones and open office areas, while personnel offices, break rooms and flight operations were given windows with sun control devices for comfort.

“Our new world-class AASF at Buckley is recognized by people within and outside of the industry as a facility that exceeds the standards with its clean, contemporary and rich appearance,” says Mark A. Schoenrock, chief of contracting, United States Property and Fiscal Office of Colorado.

Energy efficiency in the HVAC, lighting and power systems allow the AASF to operate efficiently by exceeding the LEED energy cost reductions by more than 60 percent of the ASHRAE/IESNA Standard. Along with making wise decisions on the type of air-handling systems, the design for daylight monitoring, occupancy sensors and reheat systems added to the overall goal of saving energy.

Sustainable Design Strategies

Of the innovations in design made on the AASF, four additional successful sustainable design approaches stand out, aesthetically, functionally and financially:

1. This project type requires a ventilation exchange rate of the entire hangar volume per hour. During winter months, more than 2 million cubic feet of air would be heated and then discharged directly outside, wasting an incredible amount of energy. One innovation was made to counter this loss while providing fresh air during the exchange. A heat exchanger was inserted into the hangar’s makeup air system to pull the heat from the air being exhausted and transfer it to the air being supplied to the hangar. Seventy-five percent of the heat is recovered by this system, which equates to a savings of $38,000 per year.

2. A unique stained concrete design not only added an aesthetically pleasing surface to the facility, but also added to the innovation in sustainability. More than 75 percent of the building had some form of stained concrete or raw surface treatment, thus reducing the amount of materials that went into constructing the facility. More than 75,000 square feet of hangar and support shops contain a white dry-shake concrete hardener in lieu of the military standard epoxy coating. The administrative areas are primarily finished as chemically stained concrete with a low-VOC sealer.

3. Landscape irrigation via a series of cobblestone dry creek beds allowed the AASF to tie into its natural surroundings while saving on the irrigation water needed to provide the growth and substance necessary for the plantings’ longevity. The AASF saves 85 percent on irrigation in comparison to similar projects of the same landscaping magnitude by using natural xeriscaping, drought tolerant plants, and irrigation along the “feature” creek beds.

4. Finally, reused asphalt and gravel from the site were used to construct new asphalt roads and parking lots, while reused soil from over-excavation was used around the site for landscaping and final grading. The landfills were spared some 200,000 cubic feet of asphalt and 300,000 cubic feet of base gravel. Two million cubic feet of over-excavated soils, which were of poor structural quality, were removed from the ground but kept onsite for landscaping and final grading.

Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF)

PROJECT TYPE: MILITARY/ AVIATION/ COMMERCIAL
COMPLETION DATE: DECEMBER 2006
LOCATION: AURORA, COLO. (BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE)
BUILDING SIZE: 118,000 SQUARE FEET
SITE SIZE: 35 ACRES
COST OF CONSTRUCTION: $35,000,000

AASF Project Team

ARCHITECT: COOVER-CLARK & ASSOCIATES, INC. (CONCEPTUAL DESIGN,
INTERIORS, AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE) – DENVER
ARCHITECT: CAROL COOVER-CLARK, AIA
SENIOR DESIGN: B. EDWARD BALKIN
PROJECT DESIGN: BRIAN T. DUGGAN
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: MIKE ARNOLD

ARCHITECT: CH2MHILL (PRODUCTION AND DETAILING) – DENVER/CORVALLIS, ORE.
ARCHITECT: ED PIETERICK, AIA

ENGINEERING: CH2MHILL – DENVER/CORVALLIS, ORE.
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: DAVE CHILTON, PE
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER: TOM OSSOWSKI, PE
MECHANICAL ENGINEER: RICK FREY, PE
CIVIL ENGINEER: JOHN THOMPSON, PE
CIVIL ENGINEER: JACK PURDY, PE

ENGINEERING: ROLF JENSON & ASSOCIATES – DENVER
FIRE PROTECTION: MICHAEL AARON, PE

OWNER/CLIENT: COLORADO ARMY NATIONAL GUARD – CENTENNIAL, COLO.