Photo: Harper Construction Co.

Trainee Complex Upgrade - DFAC/Starship Barracks

This design-build project includes construction of two new dining facilities and the conversion of three existing barracks into classrooms in support of Fort Sill Army Post’s mission to train troops in military systems and operations. The objective was to design and build a training facility with dining halls and classrooms similar to those of a college or university.

Each dining facility is a 56,000-sq-ft, single-story, stand-alone structure equipped to feed 2,600 trainee soldiers meals within 90 minutes, three times a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. The seated dining area is designed to accommodate up to 1,088 soldiers at once.

Each barracks is approximately 38,200 sq ft. Approximately two-thirds of the space was programmed to be converted from dining facilities to classrooms. To meet Starship operational mission requirements, the team designed classroom space for 1,200 trainees with the minimum classroom size to accommodate 60 students. Larger classrooms include ceiling-hung, moveable partitions.

Key Facts

Location: Fort Sill, Okla.
Construction Start Date: December 2009
Expected Completion Date: February 2012
Utilizing BIM? Yes
Seeking LEED certification? Yes - Silver
Owner/Developer: Department of Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lawton, Okla.
General Contractor: Harper Construction Co. Inc., San Diego, Calif.
Architect: Cass/Sowatsky/Chapman & Associates, San Diego, Calif.
Civil Engineer: Calibre Engineering, Littleton, Colo.
Structural Engineer: SMR-ISD Consulting Structural Engineers, San Diego, Calif.
MEP Engineer: Walsh Engineering and ELEN Consulting, San Diego, Calif.
Main Specialty/Subcontractors: Industrial Commercial Systems, Vista, Calif.; Helix Electric, San Diego, Calif.; Skipworth Plumbing, Wichita Falls

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