101st Airborne Command & Control Headquarters
Fort Campbell, KY

Business Challenge

The 101st Airborne Assault Command Division at Fort Campbell, KY is one of the most storied divisions in the U.S. Army. Unfortunately, the division staff at Fort Campbell had outgrown their headquarters and were conducting operations from 32 WWII-era buildings across the base; locating the staff in one facility would increase efficiency and communication. In addition, the current headquarters was not technologically as current or as protected as required to support their mission in today’s world.

The Command & Control Headquarters was designed while the 101st Airborne Assault Command Division was stationed in Iraq and our design team worked diligently with the 101st Division personnel via electronic communications to maintain their inclusion in the design process.

Services Provided

• Full discipline architectural and engineering design services
• Charrette (on-site, user interactive programming and design development to rework space to match clients’ needs and maximize usage)
• Created multiple preliminary designs to allow input from users; final design was an integration of features from each of the preliminary designs
• Comprehensive Interior Design (CID)
• Structural Interior Design (SID)
• 100% Design (specifications and construction documents)
• Seismic Design (site is located in a highly seismic region near the New Madrid fault and special lateral force resisting systems were designed and detailed in accordance with the latest seismic provisions)
• Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection (AT/FP) measures 
• Extensive security features including: TEMPEST, secure vault, intrusion detection, access control, secure communications
• Value engineering
• Construction services

Results

This project earned an “Excellent” ACASS rating as well as a PCI Precast Design Award.

The Division Command & Control Headquarters for the 101st Airborne exhibits a design concept that is very different from other facilities of its type. The major function of the facility is Administrative and unlike many administration buildings on military installations, it strays away from the conventional two-story design that typically consists of a uniform façade with a pitched metal roof. Due to the nature of the 101st Airborne, several symbolic gestures were made to allow the building to reflect the icons associated with their mission.  Both the plan and elevation were manipulated to represent the rotors of a helicopter or the wings of an eagle. The historical significance of the 101st was symbolized in the Airborne insignia “carved” into the precast concrete. This carving was symbolic of the permanence, strength, and pride of the Airborne. Material changes allowed the metal panels over the wings to express a completely different façade in the courtyard, compared to the street façade. Through the use of different materials, the building has a rigid street façade and a less rigid courtyard façade. The design of this facility breaks the boundaries of stereotypical military facilities.

Features of the new Headquarters include:

• Raised access flooring with Underfloor Air System (UFAS)
• Innovative and extensive communications and IT
• Sustainable design features
• Secure and unsecure areas
• Command suites
• Administrative office areas (open and closed)
• Conference rooms with motorized screens for presentations with rear projection
• Lobby
• Auditorium with tiered seating for 80 people
• Physical fitness room with showers
• Emergency operations center

“Superb effort on this highly visible and technically challenging project design. All expectations of the Corps of Engineers and the Command Staff at Ft. Campbell were met and exceeded. The team provided exceptional designs in all technical disciplines. All other attributes of the contract were also performed in an exceptional manner. Of special note would be the excellent presentations made at the Command level, Responsiveness to a demanding customer and overall management and adherence to schedule.” – ACASS Rating