Virginia National Guard Headquarters

Virginia National Guard
Sergeant Bob Slaughter Headquarters
at Defense Supply Center Richmond

The 101,588 square foot, $30 million facility was built on a 13.6 acre site. The facility meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold requirements and is the first structure purpose built to serve as a headquarters for the Virginia National Guard in its more than 410-year history. The headquarters houses a state-of-the-art Joint Operations Center and work spaces for the Adjutant General of Virginia, the Virginia National Guard joint staff and Air National Guard staff for collaboration with agency partners and mission command support during routine and domestic response operations.

The Virginia National Guard Headquarters (VNGHQ) facility consist of two (2) separate structures; a 101,588 GSF, 2-story Readiness Center (Building “A”) and a 3,019 GSF unconditioned Storage Building (Building “B”).  The facility includes areas which was constructed in accordance with the SCIF requirements of ICD/ICS 705 and all areas are considered secure. The facility houses an assembly hall, locker rooms/showers, active duty administration offices, unit conference spaces, armory, and shops for communications equipment, multi T media/LAN control centers, secure rooms, classrooms, conference rooms and lounges.

Complex information systems and technological appurtenances was included within the design. The design also include a full building backup/emergency generator, connections to existing utilities, and associated site work.  The building consisted of reinforced concrete and steel –framed building with masonry exterior walls and gypsum board interior walls and concrete floors.

The project’s LEED goal is to achieve a Silver level of certification using the LEED for New Construction Version 2009 program. At completion, the project was awarded LEED GOLD.

Plumbing systems include low-flow, automatic fixtures in public toilet rooms, low-flow showers with manual mixing valves, gas-fired instantaneous domestic hot water heaters, and a triplex domestic water booster pump system.

Minimum average lighting levels for this project are provided via low wattageT8 fluorescent with electronic ballasts fixtures. Task lighting was provided in the FF&E package to meet LEED requirements. Lighting fixtures are controlled by a network of occupancy sensors with dual switching and/or dimming capabilities for occupant control of lighting levels.

The overall energy efficiency goals and objectives for the facility are designed to exceed the baseline requirements of ASHRAE 90.1 and the 2012 Virginia Energy Code.  The main HVAC system is comprised of a hybrid geothermal system (geothermal well sized for the heating load and a closed circuit evaporative cooler for supplemental cooling in summer) connected to zone water-source heat pumps.  Water-source heat pump dedicated outside air units (DOAS) with energy-recovery (enthalpy wheels) pre-condition the outside air and a Demand Control Ventilation (DVC) strategy is used to ensued proper ventilation was achieved in all areas of the facility.  On-site renewable energy generation is 0.75% (estimated) of the total design energy cost is provided via a ground mounted solar photo-voltaic array.

The commissioning scope provided for above average vigor and exceed the minimum requirements to meet LEED EAc3, Enhanced Commissioning including performance verifications and testing.