Built in 2019, the Ardmore Readiness Center is an 82,000 square foot facility designed to support the Oklahoma Army National Guard. The center is home to administrative offices as well as full-service training and deployment facilities used by the National Guard several times a month. The Readiness Center also supports local community needs and serves as a place of refuge during natural disasters.
Showcased within the Ardmore Readiness Center project, sustainable design has proven to be a priority for the Oklahoma Military Department. The driving goals for the Readiness Center included operational efficiency, energy conservation, and cost-effectiveness. The project highlighted those achievements through innovation in sustainability, resiliency, security, durability, and flexibility.
Challenges
A few challenges presented themselves when attempting LEED certification for this rural Oklahoma site. LEED rewards projects that are located in dense, urban environments through Sustainable Sites credits and encourage development density, community connectivity, and access to public transportation. Materials and Resources credit reward projects that utilize regional materials and recycle 50-75% of their construction waste. Due to the project’s location, earning high points in these categories proved to be difficult. To overcome the loss of points, the Ardmore Readiness Center design/build team stepped up. The team worked hard to improve water and energy efficiency, increase natural daylight and provide a healthy space for the building users. In addition, the team took advantage of the large site to maximize stormwater control and utilize native vegetation. Using swales, flow control devices, and bioretention ponds, the project was able to receive maximum points on both Stormwater Quantity and Quality Controls. Native grasses and wildflower mixes were installed across the site, which allowed the project to also maximize the points on Water Efficient Landscaping as no irrigation was required after the vegetation was established.
Implementing sustainability on this unique and complex project was a challenge. While the initial sustainability goal of the Ardmore Readiness Center was to achieve LEED Silver Certification, the collaborative efforts of the entire team led the project to achieve LEED Gold Certification. While the owner was pleased with the results, the real winners are the building occupants who will have a healthy and energy-efficient space to work and train.
Solutions
- Low-mercury lighting and high-efficiency HVAC systems, saving 59% in energy costs per year over a comparable building of this size and use.
- Low-flow fixtures throughout the center, reducing water use by 50% each year.
- Low-emitting materials during construction to reduce the amount of harmful chemicals encountered by the construction crew and building occupants.
- 590,000 square feet of open space for training and recreational purposes.
