Completion Date:     1/15/2014

Square Footage:      38000

Building Use:           Administrative facility housing four NASA departments in one central location

Location:                 Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, CA

Project Description:

The Facilities Support Center (FSC) was designed to be the prototype and reference design for NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center’s 20 year Master Plan to consolidate a collection of small, outdated, inefficient, and sparsely distributed buildings into a centralized, efficient campus. Using Building Information Modeling (BIM), three-dimensional visuals of the building shell and infrastructure were created prior to construction. The FSC includes flexible and collaborative office space, conference rooms, restrooms with shower facilities, fabrication workshops, development and training laboratories.

Conservation was a key factor in the design of this $12.7 million, 38,000-square-foot building. Located within Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert, the Facilities Support Center was certified as Armstrong’s first LEED Platinum building in June 2014. The FSC design incorporates energy and water conservation, solar energy, recycled materials, and work spaces that are designed to enhance efficiency. Energy simulations determined the FSC’s energy use is up to 43% more efficient than traditional construction.

The FSC has taken advantage of the desert climate to offset overall energy costs by more than 17% through solar energy solutions. An indirect/direct evaporative cooling system takes advantage of the arid climate to minimize FSC energy usage and maintain comfortable indoor temperatures. On days when the weather is too hot and humid, the system is supplemented with a small chiller. The shell of the FSC was designed to minimize energy leaks.

The FSC uses natural light that is distributed by solar light tubes to illuminate multiple areas. All of the lighting fixtures are light-emitting diodes. During the construction of the FSC about 95% of the construction waste was recycled, and more than 20% of its construction materials were made from recycled products. For example, all of the wall and ceiling insulation was made from recycled denim. Construction materials for the FSC such as adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, carpet, and wood products were selected to maintain good indoor air quality and reduce impact to the environment. Countertops were made from wheat board, which is a rapidly renewable material.

Water usage was another key component in the FSC’s design, where elements combine to use about 61.5% less than standard construction. The landscaping is comprised of native and adaptive drought tolerant plants, which require no irrigation. Gray water used from showers, laundry and restroom sinks is collected in a tank, filtered and pumped back into the facility for use for flushing toilets.

Aeronautical elements and surrounding historical buildings and hangars inspire the overall design of the facility. The curved shape of the roofline resembles aircraft fuselage and wings. The front facade reflects the look of the nearby historically significant Hangar 4802. The curved surfaces also offer advantages in reflecting natural light to illuminate major work areas. The FSC design also incorporates the use of translucent wall panels and low energy windows that allow light to pass through while blocking heat transmission.

The Facilities Support Center was designed to set the design standard for NASA at the Armstrong Flight Research Center over the course of the next twenty years.

C.O.T.E. | Committee on the Environment

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