The Fort Richardson Barracks facility is arranged in a very efficient, four-story, L configuration, with two wings for the dwelling unit modules, and a central core area that includes the central building stair and elevator. In addition to having efficient design, this building is U.S. Green Building Council LEED Silver certification for energy efficiency.
The main entrance to the facility was centrally located at the intersection of the two residential wings. A generous canopy extends from the main entrance toward the main parking area. Upon entering the building through the Adaptive Battlespace Awareness-compliant hallway, the area above the lobby is open to the second floor and provides a dramatic space with a tall volume and a generous amount of natural light entering from the south. The main building entrance is easily identified by the canopy and full-height vertical window above the entrance doors and a simple gabled roof form.
This canopy was designed to complement the overall design and match the style of the existing buildings. To naturally melt snow quickly, the main canopy faces south, has western exposure and aligns with arctic best design practices.
The design of the facility incorporates the materials, textures, colors and details from the buildings on the Fort Richardson campus. The exterior appearance of the facility aligns with the existing, nearby residential facilities. To match the surrounding buildings, the exterior wall base consists of textured concrete masonry unit wainscot with accent banding and capstone detailing. This wainscot varies in height to add visual interest to the exterior of the building. The pattern is a variation on the theme at existing buildings due to the four-story nature of this facility.
