General John W. Vessey Readiness Center eBook

PLANNING ARCHITECTURE ENGINEERING INTERIORS

General John W. Vessey Readiness Center

Readiness and modernization represent the mission goals for the National Guard’s reimagined readiness center facilities.

This Minnesota National Guard Division Headquarters complex serves as the new home for the 34th Infantry Division known as the Red Bulls. As one of the most storied divisions in the National Guard, the Red Bulls are one of the most deployed divisions in the nation’s history. Formed in 1917 and known initially as the Sandstorm Division, they became known as the Red Bulls during World War II. It is mainly from this Division that the US Army Rangers were formed. In addition to warfighting, the Red Bulls have faithfully served their local communities for more than 100 years in response to fire, flood, search, and rescue efforts. This headquarters provides training and readiness and embodies the National Guard’s commitment to durability, longevity, and efficiency.

The site of this new headquarters settles within a federal cantonment area with rolling hills, wetlands, and mature oak trees, typical of a rural Minnesota landscape.

With winding paths and roadways through wetland areas, the grades lead naturally through the site.

Formerly a munitions storage and weapons training area, the site’s careful and deliberate development represents a continuation of efforts to rehabilitate the ecosystem after decades of contamination.

With the aid of a National Guard environmental expert, the facility and site features were organized around the habitat and nesting patterns of protected species. The existing drainage patterns, wetlands, and arrangement of mature forest growth guided the positioning of the building, parking lots, and landscaping. Native plantings surround the facility, mitigating the need for irrigation and excessive maintenance with fuel-powered equipment. Impervious surfaces required for programmatic success were offset through natural, onsite infiltration and treatment strategies.

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Helicopter landing pad ^

Marsden Marsh

Training Grounds

Hamline Avenue

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1 2 em st y il S ra T g tin s i Ex

1 Stormwater management network 2 Protected wetlands 3 Protected mature tree growth and habitat 4 Geothermal well field 5 Photovoltaic panel array

Sunfish Lake

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Water, energy, and economy informed the decisions and defined the process. The design systems cooperated and supported the diversely integrated, existing ecosystems.

The site is located within the Rice Creek Watershed. A district that had identified as a flood management zone. The stormwater management system was designed to integrate into the landscape utilizing surface flow to vegetated swales and greenspaces before ultimately gathering into downstream filtration and detention basins. The basins were designed to reduce the rate of runoff and limit the flow to 80 percent of the existing runoff rate, thereby improving the downstream watershed impacts. Additionally, these systems were strategically placed to ensure the existing wetlands received improved water quality while maintaining their natural hydrology.

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The design responds to the natural terrain and existing ecosystems.

Set within a vibrant and undulating natural landscape, the building strikes a low, linear presence, disguising its expansive scale.

The dark, textured façade recedes into the natural surroundings in a shadow-like manner, background to the textures and colors of the tree canopy it is placed carefully within.

This reverential theme is juxtaposed with an iconic, red array of vertical sunshades, expressing the strength and fortitude of the Red Bulls. In addition to the vertical repetition of the sunshades, the black, textured concrete facades are subdivided by soaring slivers of vertical glass. This design allows for striking reflections of the foliage and sky, creating a mirage of transparency, like a passive camouflage.

The building performs as a complex, integrated system, working with the climatic realities of this northern location while prioritizing a visual connection for its occupants to the surrounding environment.

The linear parti was oriented to leverage the passive benefits of southern exposure, protecting glazing from the predominant winds and cold from the northwest. Entries and walkways are warmed by the sun, storing thermal energy and advancing the rate of ice melt during the winter months.

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The facility is organized around a central hub and divided into three functional masses.

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The central hub, a high volume, two-story node, provides access to the two adjacent wings and houses the common use spaces. A massive, upper level classroom cantilevers over the auditorium below. The rectangular, cantilevered form provides shade and protection from the elements while highlighting spectacular views. The auditorium features curved concrete walls tuned to provide ideal acoustic conditions.

The west wing is a single-story, concrete-enclosed mass, outfitted with varied storage options and compartments arranged for supply distribution.

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Functioning as a modern workplace, the east administrative wing appears as a single story from the front of the building. A lower level is revealed on the north side as the site elevation drops dramatically toward the marshland.

Paramount to the design, the administrative wing can expand from 50 full-time, day-today occupants to as many as 700 occupants during a drill weekend. In addition, the layout of “neighborhoods” in the office wing allows for the mechanical systems and spaces to be tuned to the changing daily needs, saving energy and enhancing the experience for the users.

Upper Level

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1 2 Main Level

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Common

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Administrative

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Supply

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The interior design focuses on connection, flexibility, and wellness.

Anchored by a high-volume, two-story (above grade) central common area, occupants maintain a visual connection between floors through a large atrium.

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A sense of place is ever-present between inter

rior spaces and the colorful landscape beyond.

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Equal parts sculpture and functionality, the monumental stair promotes wellness through physical activity, beckoning users to ‘choose the stairs.’

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A cornerstone of readiness is the ability to adapt.

The training and operations headquarters required the same flexibility as the mission carried out within.

During construction, the National Guard determined that an additional unit would be housed in this facility, and the need for adaptability was immediately tested. The structural strategies and functional layout embedded within the design were ready for this type of adaptation and accommodated without negatively impacting the spirit of the design.

The linear wings of the facility are expansive and column-free, employing full-span, precast concrete double tee construction. The underside of this roof structure was left exposed, resulting in the visual

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effect of a striking pattern of smooth, white channels, in contrast to the dark, moody exterior. Functional organization strictly followed a modular layout, aligning with the beam and fenestration locations.

All services, save lighting and fire protection, were routed beneath raised access flooring, and walls were held short of the overhead structure, creating a neighborhood of “indoor buildings” within the building.

These unanchored boxes could be rearranged and reconfigured throughout the design and construction process, ensuring that the final built product met the current and future needs of the division.

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Passive strategies, inherent in the design development, were furthered through active strategies employed to exceed aggressive goals for energy reduction.

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As demonstrated by a pending LEED Silver certification, the design was driven from the beginning by holistic aspirations and an integrated decision-making process. A photovoltaic array adjacent to the primary parking lot absorbs solar energy and distributes it to the utility grid.

Additionally, an expansive geothermal well field was installed below the paving to offset the disturbance made to a large portion of the site that accommodated the vehicle parking areas. The system leverages the consistent temperature and heat-sink potential of the earth below to reduce the energy required to heat or cool air distributed throughout the facility.

To reduce energy consumption the National Guard implemented operational strategies to manage plug loads and coordinate the facilitywide LED lighting. Daylight penetrates deep into the administrative spaces through the vertical fenestration and tubular skylights dappling the sloped roof deck. Automated photo-sensing systems respond to the levels of daylight harvested. During a typical day, these spaces do not need electrical lighting.

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1 Sun shades 2 Tubular skylights 3 Geothermal well field 4 Photovoltaic panel array 20

41%

energy savings over baseline

15%

energy demand met by on-site renewables

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78%

construction waste diverted from landfills

35%

potable water use reduction

37% materials with pre- and post4

consumer recycled content

The material and finish selection mirror the pragmatic and efficient approach that the division exemplifies.

A special effort was made to leverage local materials and ask materials to serve multiple functions. Structural elements are celebrated by remaining exposed and serving as the finished surface where possible due to the resilience of the materials.

Precast concrete characterizes the primary façade system made from sand and rock from surrounding areas. A subtle, geometric pattern, a digital camouflage, is stamped into the surface of the exterior concrete to provide texture and shadow.

The interior facing surface of these insulated concrete panels is left exposed, reducing the need for additional finish systems that require more frequent disposal and replacement. Concrete floors, with integrated color, were polished to provide a durable, efficient finish, resulting in a reflective surface, haunting in its resemblance to a deep black pool. The dark and daring exterior palette contrasts with light and white interiors, accented by select black elements and edges.

Instances of the Red Bull-branded red color appear sparingly, demonstrating an exercise in restraint by the design team. As a whole, the interior palette strikes a soothing and straightforward aesthetic, providing a gallery-feeling environment, guiding attention to carefully crafted architectural details, historical references, and stunning views.

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The 34th Infantry Division Headquarters in Arden Hills, Minnesota - designed to be ready, adaptable, and resilient for the next century.

With the expressed goal of redefining the National Guard readiness centers model, the headquarters balances function, flexibility, and resilience while prioritizing environmental, social, and financial responsibility.

Representing an iconic and defining step forward while still providing a connection to the past, the design demonstrates a reverence to the site. The use of materials and form express a simplicity that augments the visual impact and elevated design presence while staying true to the pragmatic sensibilities of the region, the client, and the communities it represents. Aware of the intrusiveness a facility of this scale presented on this natural landscape, every design decision was tested and tempered. Mitigating the impact to the surrounding ecosystems and enveloping this structure into the landscape became a central focus. The opportunity to continue the story of the restoration of this previously contaminated site was recognized and honored.

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