May 27 2008
Under contract with the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment (AFCEE), ECC and its teaming partners, RMA Land and C.H. Guernsey + Company, are providing design-build services for a state-of-the-art consolidated fitness center at Vandenberg AFB, California.
The 51,000-square-foot fitness center integrates contemporary technologies, modern architecture, and environmentally friendly features. Major design features include three NCAA-sized basketball courts, three volleyball courts, two massage rooms, four saunas, a juice bar, shower and locker facilities, administration offices, and a 7,800-square-foot cardio and free weight area.
As part of the bidding process, the client requested the incorporation of 55 potential betterments ranked as high, medium, and low desirability. ECC's team was able to include 52 of the 55 improvements while staying within the $15.5 million budget.
Eric Rypple, PE, ECC's Senior Structural Engineer, stated, "We're always thinking about new and innovative design-build approaches for our clients. On this project, for example, we introduced a tilt-up wall as a means to give the client more building for less money than conventional concrete/mason block walls."
While the project has gone out for bid at least two times in recent years, it was never awarded due to a variety of factors. Bidding on the project for the first time, the AFCEE-Base-ECC Team was able to develop a successful approach that met budgetary requirements, while meeting all stakeholders' concerns and incorporating contemporary and sustainable designs and standards.
Mr. Rypple continues, "When designing the center, our team tailored our concept drawings to retain the integrity and architecture of the Base, while at the same time, incorporating LEED design and construction standards and state-of-the-art amenities."
LEED, or the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council as a nationally accepted benchmark for the design-build and operation of sustainable buildings. ECC is using the LEED Green Building Rating System(TM) as guidance to ensure a sustainable, innovative, and high-quality product for their clients. The fitness center is scheduled for completion in March 2009.
Established in 1985, ECC provides a complete range of services to support its clients' missions, including environmental remediation, design-build construction, operations and maintenance, and munitions response. ECC serves several U.S. government agencies, including the Army, Air Force, Navy, Department of State, and Department of Energy.