Soltek led the Design-Build Team for the new 12,000 sq. ft., two-story classroom building for the School of Business and Public Policy. The new structure’s first floor features two auditorium-style tiered classrooms (35 students each) designed to be opened into one space for larger classes and video teleconferencing, and a third straight-tiered classroom for 35 students, administrative spaces and restrooms. The second floor space includes three additional classrooms with space for 34 students each (two of which can be combined), two Conference/Breakout Rooms, and associated restrooms.
The building is constructed of cast-in-place concrete capable of withstanding large blasts in relation to the military’s Anti-Terrorism Force Protection requirements and its proximity to a public thoroughfare. For exiting purposes, blast doors were added on the street side of the facility. The walls are cast with fluted reveals in order to match existing buildings in the area and enhanced with additional architectural features to soften the overall appearance. The interior consists of a series of auditorium style classrooms with fully flexible computer networking capabilities with raised access flooring on both the first and second floor. The raised computer floors also feature tiered, fixed seating and built-in desks to facilitate the auditorium atmosphere. To serve the facility’s electrical needs, a 50 kW Photovoltaic Power System was installed on the adjacent library. Water collected from the site can be recycled through the Base reclamation system and reused for irrigation for the facility. Other sustainable features are included throughout the facility which will enable it to achieve USGBC LEED certification. The building is currently undergoing its LEED evaluation and when complete it is anticipated it will achieve LEED Gold (Pending).