117th Space Battalion Readiness Center at Fort Carson 117th Space Battalion Readiness Center Breakroom 117th Space Battalion Readiness Center Interior CLIENT: Colorado National Guard PROJECT: Space Battalion Readiness Center PROJECT LOCATION: Colorado Springs, CO PROJECT COST: $15.98M PROJECT FEATURES: New 45,170 sf facility on 15 acres of Fort Carson iiCON's ROLE: General Contractor 117th Space Battalion Readiness Center at Fort Carson Burns & McDonnell and iiCON Construction partnered to provide the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs a new state-of-the-art military readiness center on the Fort Carson Post in Colorado to serve as the epicenter of the Army National Guard Space Operations. The $15.98 million facility included 45,170 square feet of space on 15 acres of Fort Carson to host the 117th Space Battalion of the Colorado Army National Guard (CO ARNG) and two companies performing satellite transmitted digital imagery for warfighting operations. The 1st Space Brigade conducts space operations to deliver decisive combat power in support of the Army and joint warfighting communities. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the brigade supports joint forces and their critical dependence on space capabilities and products through the unique mission sets of its subordinate battalions and associated unit battalion. As a centralized location for federal, state, and local personnel, the center will provide a training ground for space forces to conduct continuous global space force enhancements, space support, space control and contingency activity. The operations and training facility design includes mission-oriented team collaboration centers, technology-advanced workstations and equipment storage space. Integrated daylighting, geothermal HVAC systems, LED lighting, advanced stormwater solutions and low-emitting materials contribute to the project’s LEED Gold certification. The design conforms with local codes and standards in addition to the Department of Defense Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC). The facility was outfitted with the latest anti-terrorism and force protection standards and measures. The required blast-resistant framing, which has an essential safety function, was incorporated into the aesthetics. The steel framing was used to accent the interior and add character to the facility with exposed structural steel throughout. When the groundbreaking took place in 2019, the project was initially designed for LEED Silver. Based on energy savings achieved through the geothermal HVAC system and other integrated systems, the project achieved LEED Gold certification when construction was complete. This couldn’t have been achieved without COARNG’s commitment to commissioning and on-going building performance measures that gained valuable points. After examining the long-term cost benefits and impact to the longevity of the project, the team evaluated the cost-benefit of drilled caissons instead of a shallow-foundation system to improve the overall performance of the building and to mitigate any differential movements based on the geology in the region. This also helped mitigate maintenance in the future by solidifying the foundation and any potential building movements due to expansive soils. At the groundbreaking event, Army National Guard LTC Michael Lane, Commander of the 117th Space Battalion said, "This facility will serve as a state-of-the-art epicenter of Army National Guard Space Operations. We will train, learn, improve and, if necessary, operate from this location to support warfighters across the world. We are especially happy to join the Fort Carson community and our active-duty colleagues in the 1st Space Brigade, where our proximity will enable many multi-component training opportunities. Breaking ground on this new facility is a long-sought milestone that will help drive a new level of readiness for Colorado Army National Guard Space Soldiers." During commissioning of the facility, unexpected and severe fluctuations of system water pressure were encountered due to upstream conditions in the Post’s water distribution system. The team evaluated the problem and developed a multi-stage, VFD driven, booster pump solution that was incorporated into the facility’s main water distribution system. This ensured the facility had sufficient water pressure for all areas of site 24 hours a day.