The Middle East District recently completed construction of new, $45.5 million, energy-efficient barracks on Naval Support Activity, in Manama, Bahrain, and a team from the district attended the ribbon cutting ceremony marking completion of the project Sept. 29.
The new barracks will house nearly 500 sailors, mainly E-4, in two-person suites, each containing a shared kitchenette with cooktop range and oven, microwave, refrigerator, shared bathroom, air-conditioning, and internet service. The barracks also include laundry facilities on each floor, activity rooms and bike racks. Supporting facilities include utilities, paving, walks, curbs, gutters, parking, fencing, storm drainage system, information systems, site and road improvements.
In addition to the amenities of the living quarters, it was built to maximize energy savings, with the goal of attaining LEED Silver certification. Buildings certified by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design are assigned points based on how efficiently they use resources. They can attain Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum levels of certification based on the number of points earned. ECC CENTCOM Constructors, the project’s construction contractor, is in the process of providing documentation to obtain this certification.
The building contains solar powered water heaters, Energy Star appliances, and the irrigation system uses condensate water from the base’s Consolidated Utilities Building.
Maj. William Lewis, the Bahrain Resident Office officer-in-charge, said the design-build construction contract for the 482 personnel barracks was awarded to ECC CENTCOM Constructors, LLC in September 2012 to meet the Navy’s on post housing deficiency for its E-4 and below Sailors. And the design was done by Baker Engineering.
“Sustainability and protecting the environment were key components in the construction of this barracks with energy saving elements,” he said. “The plumbing systems reduce water consumption by 40 percent, and the barracks are constructed with energy efficient Insulated Concrete Form technology. The ICF can also withstand winds of up to 250 mph.”
Roger Vogler, Chief, Engineering and Construction Division, attended the ribbon-cutting.
“These environmental innovations and other sustainability components translate into real dollar savings for the NSA and the Navy well into the future,” he said. “My understanding is that the base will recoup project costs within the next 4 to 6 years, and as a taxpayer, I appreciate that.”
Vogler noted that energy efficiency wasn’t the only major accomplishment of the project.
“ECC and their subcontractors spent 3.3 million man hours constructing this facility, with only one minor lost time accident,” he said. “Their commitment to excellence resulted in a facility that is of very high quality, and as alluded to before, was designed and built with high consideration for service member quality of life and project sustainability.”