Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

U.S. Military Academy at West Point: Pershing Barracks

  • 03/01/19
military school at west point

TOP RIGHT TWO PHOTOS © BRENDAN MCGIBNEY PHOTOGRAPHY, TOP LEFT AND BOTTOM PHOTOS COURTESY OF KOKOLAKIS CONTRACTING

Pershing barracks, located at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in West Point, NY, was originally constructed for academic purposes from 1891 to 1895. This historic structure is significant for its architecture, which incorporates elements of Gothic, Tudor, and Romanesque styles, and for its association with the infamous architect Richard Morris Hunt. Kokolakis Contracting’s commitment to preserve the historic integrity of this building was top priority during the preservation process and while updating the infrastructure to a modern state-of-the-art facility.

The 124,692-square-foot, four-story cadet housing facility involved complex upgrades to meet current codes and achieve LEED Silver certification. Energy-efficient features include exterior wall spray-foam insulation; insulated windows; electronic controls for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC); LED lighting; and low-flow plumbing fixtures. The HVAC upgrade was especially challenging since the building did not originally have systems in place. As a building that was first completed in 1895, its structural layouts were not configured with ample space or passageways for modern building systems.

Structural flooring consists of terracotta masonry archways that span between floor beams as low as 7 feet/7 inches, with 60-inch-thick structural brick masonry walls located throughout the floors. As a result, the MEP coordination was one of the largest challenges on the project. Using Building Information Modeling (BIM), the ductwork, piping, and conduit were laid out in a manner to reduce challenges and conflicts.

Another historic preservation aspect was restoring the two faces of the clock tower. The inner workings, which have not been operable for some time, will be replaced with a new electric model. The clock tower’s missing gargoyle will also be returned to his proper location at the top of the clock tower.

The newly renovated Pershing Barracks was completed at the end of 2018, ultimately accommodating 270 cadets and six officers.

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management March 2019 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Girl Sitting at Library Desk, Using Laptop

    How Campus Design Shapes the Finals Week Experience

    Academic performance is not just about preparation. It is closely tied to how students manage stress, maintain their energy, and shift between work and recovery modes. Much of that is influenced, directly or indirectly, by design.

  • KWK Architects Announces Full Transition to Lawrence Group Branding

    KWK Architects recently announced that it will complete its transition to the Lawrence Group brand effective July 1, according to a news release. The merger marks the end of a three-year strategic integration process that began in March 2023 to unite the firms.

  • AAADM Announces Building Safety Month Initiatives

    The American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers (AAADM) recently announced its support of Building Safety Month as declared by the International Code Council (ICC), according to a news release.

  • Planning with Clarity: Using AI to Make Better Campus Decisions, Not Just Better Designs

    Higher education leaders are being asked to make increasingly high-stakes decisions about campus facilities amid greater uncertainty than ever before. Social and economic pressures, shifting enrollment, and evolving learning models compete with growing deferred maintenance needs to strain even the most robust infrastructure budgets.