The Military Engineer l No. 66567 Integrated Design for Installations By Lt. Col. Kenny McDonald, Ph.D., P.E., PMP, M.SAME, USA, and Lt. Col. Steve Houston, Ph.D., P.E., LEED AP, M.SAME, USA (Ret.) True sustainable design requires an installation facing large-scale redevelopment to broaden its focus beyond individual structures to the infrastructure that supports them. Sustainability T he Department of Defense (DOD) has made great strides in the sus- tainability of its built assets, and the positive effects of current policy and requirements to incorporate sustain- able design in new construction and renovation are well understood. Today, DOD efforts in sustainable design focus on buildings and low-impact develop- ment, re?ecting current drivers of com- pliance, environmental stewardship, a social ethic and economic factors. The objective is to obtain the best outcomes throughout an assets lifecycle: con- struction, commissioning, operation, maintenance and decommissioning. The capital costs of a sustainably- designed structure may be marginally higher, but substantial savings in opera- tion and maintenance costs can result, with payback periods generally in the three- to ?ve-year range. Now that the military services are seeing the value in sustainable design as it applies to the vertical built environment, its time to move to the next level: expanding the de?nition of sustainable design to in- corporate the supporting infrastruc- ture. This approach will provide new opportunities for lifecycle ef?ciencies and resulting savings. The Birthplace of Army Engineering The birthplace of U.S. Army engineer- ing, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., has been a leader for the Army in sustainable design. As the con- struction agent for West Point, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has used the Sustainable Project Rating Tool (SPiRiT) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system on several recent construction and renovation projects. These projects include the construction of the Jeffer- son Hall Library, the construction of the Directorate of Logistics TMP facility, the renovation of Bartlett Hall and the con- struction of the U.S. Military Academy Prep School. These projects all will be certi?ed LEED Silver except the prep school, which is targeting LEED Gold. West Point, the Armys oldest con- tinually-operated military garrison, is home to many historic buildings. A rigorous historical renovation process makes any type of renovation expen- sive; however, despite the costs, West Point is committed to maintaining the posts historic nature, and to incorpo- rating sustainability into its renova- tions. In doing so, West Point will strive for additional ef?ciencies. Meanwhile, while the term historic may apply to buildings, aging is a more apt term for describing infrastruc- ture. The aging condition of West Points infrastructure is often exacerbated by a stressed operations and maintenance The U.S. Military Academy Prep School at West Point, N.Y., is targeting Gold certi?cation through the LEED rating system. Image courtesy EwingCole
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