The original Massachusetts Army National Guard Readiness Center in Methuen, MA is a 13,210 sf armory built in 1913 that sits on a 5.5-acre site zoned for industrial use. OMR was hired to construct a new state-of-the-art readiness center to house two national guard units while preserving the historic character of the original building and respecting the neighboring wetlands and 100-year flood plain. The Center was completed in the autumn of 2010. It replaces the original facility for use, but the existing armory building will remain as part of the campus because of its historic status.
The new building was located in the middle of the rectangular site. This location was dictated primarily by anti-terrorism stand back requirements. The exception is the cold storage wing to the south that was approved by the National Guard Bureau because of the very low anticipated occupancy. Entrance to the site from the street is through a gate in the site perimeter fence, and access to the building is through the publicly owned vehicle parking area. A second fence with gates services the military vehicle parking area. The project is funded by the National Guard Bureau, but is administered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through the Division of Capital Asset Management.
The design received it’s LEED® Silver Certification in August 2011 under the LEED-NC Version 2.2 rating stytem, and utilizes energy-efficient building systems including a digital building management system for controlling and monitoring the HVAC system; efficient interior and exterior lighting systems with occupancy sensors and programmability; air handling units featuring demand control ventilation and economizer abilities; and high-efficiency condensing natural gas-fired boilers.
Interior facilities include the drill hall, administrative offices, classrooms, a kitchen, locker rooms and showers, vehicle maintenance bay, and storage facilities. Military construction space standards (e.g. NG Pam 415-12) were used extensively in determining the program for this project.
Facebook
Linked In
Houzz