The healthcare complex modernization and expansion at Hurlburt Field, an auxiliary field of Eglin Air Force Base in Mary Esther, Florida, recently earned LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Hurlburt Field is home to the 1st Special Operations Medical Group and Air Force Special Operations Command. The clinic’s primary mission is to provide deployment medicine and physical and mental readiness support for 15,000 Commandos, as well as healthcare for families and base personnel.
The multi-faceted, $50-million Design-Build project entailed extensive renovations to 80,000 square feet across three buildings, as well as a 3,000-square-foot expansion to realign healthcare operations at the base. Building 91020, the central facility of the multi-unit medical and dental complex, achieved the LEED Silver designation for performance in energy, water, indoor environmental quality and durability. Collaboration with all technical disciplines from the outset of design through construction was a key factor in achieving the LEED rating.
From a design perspective, lighting-related energy consumption was reduced by 16.4% through use of motion sensors and controls. Low-flow plumbing fixtures reduced water use by 34% and 96% of equipment and appliances are Energy Star rated. Indoor environmental quality improvements included optimized HVAC energy performance and low-emitting materials. In addition, 21% of materials were locally sourced, a practice which not only boosts the local economy, but also reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation of materials and equipment to the site. More than 50% of the onsite construction waste was diverted from landfills for reuse in other projects.
The project team includes Hoefer Wysocki, JE Dunn Construction, BranchPattern, Henderson Engineers, Mitchell Planning, Walker and Moore, BHC Rhodes, Bob D. Campbell and Co., Smith Seckman Reid and Protection Engineering Consultants.