Forest Service Building 26 Renovation
The US Forest Service’s phased building and site renovations of Building 26 at Fort Missoula consisted of three individual phases of construction that spanned nearly three years and totaled over $8 Million in contract value. The project involved a significant renovation to a historic facility that included abatement, seismic upgrades to the structure, historic preservation of key building features, and a complete interior modification inclusive of major building systems upgrades for the new open and individual offices, conference rooms, and supporting facilities.
Phase 1 of the project was isolated to the south wing and the first floor of the west wing of the building. The infrastructure for a highly efficient HVAC system was put in place and the design allowed for the future expansion of the system as the additional phases were brought on line. Replacement of the perimeter windows and upgrading the building envelope were key components to complement the efficient HVAC system. A new cooling tower with boilers and pumps and a new electrical service highlight the infrastructure upgrade. New restrooms on the first floor and new office space for the regional forester and support staff round out the scope for the Phase 1 work.
The Phase 2 project took place in the north wing and included the 2nd floor of the west wing of the building. The Phase 1 area of the building was occupied during the Phase 2 project, so extra care was taken into consideration to prevent public access to the Phase 2 area of work. Historical preservation of doors, windows, and tiled areas was required to maintain the fabric of the facility’s past life. Also included in the Phase 2 scope was a site work package that included a regrade/pave the facility parking lots and updating the site lighting.
Phase 3 of the project was isolated to the basement. Both Phase 1 and Phase 2 areas within the building were occupied during the construction of Phase 3. The seismic upgrade within the basement took the seismic work in the previous phases and tied the structural upgrade together. The Mechanical system included several upgrades to increase the capacity for the additional square footage and occupant load and also provide redundancy. Restrooms with showers were relocated to provide a more centralized location within the facility. The last portion of site work improvements included another parking area upgrade with LED lighting and automatic gate controls.
