Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

21st Century Military School Chosen for Design Excellence Awards

  • 11/26/14

Woolpert, a national A&E, geospatial firm headquartered in Dayton, has been named a recipient of two awards for school facility design through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) 2014 Chief of Engineers Awards of Excellence Program.

Both honors, the Design Honor Award and the Building of the Future Award, recognize the design of the Barkley Elementary School in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, one of the first schools developed under the 21st Century Education Initiative set forth through the Department of Defense Education Activities (DoDEA) program.

DoDEA aims to replace aging primary and secondary schools – some as old as 50 years – serving the students of U.S. military families worldwide. The department’s goal is to ensure that its 181 schools, located around the world, provide an environment that supports 21st Century teaching practices and high educational standards while meeting resiliency and sustainability objectives.

Established in 1965, the USACE award program promotes excellence in design achievements by USACE and its professional contracting partners. The Barkley School design team included DoDEA, the USACE Norfolk District, the USACE Louisville District and Woolpert.  The firm has been continuously working with DoDEA since 2004.

“We’re pleased to bring our expertise in 21st Century school design to the partnership with the USACE Norfolk District, USACE Louisville District, and DoDEA,” said Doug Brown, Woolpert’s project director. “Our work has been a true collaboration to develop innovate design solutions that will help to shape the future of education for children from U.S. military families.”

The Chief of Engineers Design Honor Award recognizes the school’s innovative design, which incorporates open and flexible spaces to accommodate multiple learning and teaching styles. The building features a rooftop learning garden, and an inviting, dynamic information center that encourages students to learn and explore.

The Building of the Future Award showcases design innovations that significantly reduce energy requirements and their associated costs. In this regard, the Barkley structure represents a compact, ICF building envelope with a geothermal HVAC system to maximize energy efficiency and savings.

In 2013, Woolpert’s design of the Barkley Elementary School was recognized with the Learning by Design Outstanding Project Award and the American School and University Work in Progress Citation Award.

Featured

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • Nashville Elementary School Receives LEED Gold Certification

    Goodlettsville Elementary School, part of Metro Nashville Public Schools in Nashville, Tenn., recently achieved LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), according to a news release. The 81,750-square-foot school opened in 2023 and was designed by Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC).

  • Sam Houston State University Completes Athletic Stadium Renovations

    Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, recently announced the reopening of Elliott T. Bowers Stadium after an extensive renovation project, according to a news release. The university partnered with Stantec and DLR Group for the project’s design.