On January 10-11, two recently completed projects at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) received awards for design excellence at the AFCEC Design & Construction Partnering Symposium in San Antonio. The WPAFB Hangar 6 Renovation received the Honor Award, and the WPAFB Building 45 Renovation earned the Citation Award.
HEAPY provided MEP, technology, and fire protection engineering design for both projects, as well as Design-Build RFP preparation for the Hanger 6 Renovation project.
| “HEAPY understands the essential role that resilient, well-designed facilities play in military readiness, and our goal is to continue to be a trusted government partner through producing quality designs that exceed the standards for excellence.” |  |
| Craig Rohren, PE LEED AP BD+C Project Manager, Principal csrohren@heapy.com |
The Hangar 6 Renovation project was a collaboration between HEAPY and Burgess & Niple to upgrade and modernize WPAFB’s Facility 20006, transforming the historic 1942 hanger into secure office space for the AFLCMC/WWS mission, which is responsible for total life cycle management of Air Force weapon systems. Approximately 37,340 gross square feet of existing space was renovated and repaired, and a new second floor was added to support the 300-person mission.
HEAPY collaborated with a diverse client team to provide a range of services including master planning and the development of design criteria.
Through these efforts, the team effectively recapitalized and restored this historic facility, incorporating ICD-705 requirements, ATFP, UFC, and WPAFB standards. Notably, this adaptive reuse project is the first to modernize a building without MILCON funding under new Air Force rules.
The Citation Award for Building 45 honored the firms’ outstanding execution on a $9.3 million task order requiring the reconfiguration of the facility’s first floor layout for the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Aerospace Systems Directorate (AFRL/RQ). The goal of the project was to create a layout that supported a total of 650 personnel, requiring careful planning to improve overall layout and space utilization.
HEAPY performed a detailed study of the existing facility and used a phased construction approach to ensure the space could remain occupied and active while renovations occurred. Our team updated the facility to meet a variety of standards, including ATFP, ICD 705, and sustainable design standards. Additionally, the project involved the repair and restoration of the facility’s historic main entrance and plaza, life safety system upgrades, and a building-wide evaluation of failing exterior masonry.
| “We are proud to serve on a team that works collectively with the Department of Defense, producing creative and resilient design solutions which support the everyday warfighter through military engineering and the Air Force’s critical national defense priorities.” |  |
| Kurt Darding, PE Project Manager ktdarding@heapy.com |
Every year since 1976, the U.S. Air Force has issued three levels of design awards to highlight exceptional projects: the Honor Award (the highest achievement), the Merit Award, and the Citation Award. The winning projects for 2022 establish the benchmark of design excellence that the Air Force expects for all its facilities and installations.
