Thurston County Readiness Center

The Washington Military Department’s Thurston County Readiness Center was awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification in July of 2023. The readiness center, which serves as a regional training facility for over 300 field artillery soldiers in the Washington Army National Guard, opened in 2022 and houses 78,500 SF of training, administrative, and storage space. Though originally aiming for LEED Silver certification, the project earned LEED Gold certification through implementation of multiple sustainable and high-performance construction strategies thanks to the collaboration of a knowledgeable design team and skilled construction team.

The site design utilizes LID strategies, such as bioretention swales and permeable pavements, to handle 100% of stormwater runoff on site. The bioretention cells are landscaped with native groundcovers and grasses that collect and filter the water that drains from the Readiness Center’s roofs. The site design also more than doubled the required threshold for the Maximize Open Space credit, which earned the project an Exemplary Performance point.

The project includes a 40 kW photovoltaic array that supplements readiness center electrical demand. Additionally, the lighting design contributes to energy savings in a multitude of ways: interior lighting is 100% LED for maximum efficiency at the fixture, zoned daylight sensors are provided in each daylit space to automatically adjust to changing daylighting conditions, lighting controls are provided in multi-occupant spaces to provide varied lighting options, and task lighting is provided at all workstations for maximum occupant flexibility. All exterior lighting is 100% LED and uses daylight sensors for automation that factors in daily changes in daylight hours. The building also utilizes a VRF system to achieve energy efficient mechanical performance. Despite having a higher initial cost, the Washington Military department chose the VRF system for its lower life cycle costs. The choice to use a VRF system combined with an efficient design ultimately provided a 42.9% energy cost savings compared to a traditional system.

Ample daylight permeates throughout the building, even on gray Pacific Northwest days, by way of expanses of curtainwall, clerestory windows, skylights, and creatively placed interior glazing that allows daylight to penetrate through multiple spaces. All the stairwells in the project are open to building circulation and daylit as well, creating inviting vertical circulation that promotes occupant use. This design feature helped earn the project an Innovation in Design credit, Design for Active Occupants.