Lighting Up the Army

The U.S. Army’s new Green Building Strategy is illustrated in a recently completed Military Center which uses state-of-the-art technology to maximize daylighting while minimizing energy loss and running costs.

The new Greenlief Armed Forces Reserve Center (AFRC) in Hastings, Nebraska has been designed and built to take advantage of all the latest developments in daylighting and energy-saving technology. This not only provides the troops with the very best interior natural lighting but helps reduce running costs. To do this in as energy efficient manner as possible, in accordance with the U.S. Army’s new Green Building Strategy, a dramatic new way of improving the insulation has been achieved by introducing Nanogel® aerogel within the glazing.

Completed in April, the 59,000sf center provides assembly halls, classrooms and repair bays for the local National Guard and Army Reserve. Architects RDG Planning & Design were asked to draft a modern facility with as much natural daylight as possible. To achieve this, they designed the building to include extensive areas of glazing for the assembly, main corridors and repair centers. However, although this would let in plenty of light, it would also let in unwanted glare and heat from solar gain. There was also the problem of insulation and energy-saving in temperatures which ranged from -30° in winter to over 100° in summer. To help solve this problem, RDG turned to the daylighting experts at the Kalwall Corporation.

At the architects’ request, Kalwall®’s engineering team generated a daylighting model of the proposed building. Taking into consideration façade orientation, room height, size and use, several studies helped define the optimum positioning and size of the translucent windows and skylights to meet the Army’s daylighting objectives. Kalwall’s composite structure perfectly diffuses sunlight into “museum quality” daylighting so that shadows, glare and hotspots are all eliminated.

Although the Kalwall system itself is highly insulating, the architects agreed that this could be dramatically improved by introducing Nanogel insulation within the system to help combat the extreme temperatures. Nanogel aerogel®, a translucent form of silica aerogel made by Cabot Corporation, comprises 95% air and is the world’s lightest and best insulating solid material which greatly improves the insulation of a variety of fenestration systems. When used in the Kalwall Translucent Wall and Skyroof systems, it increased the insulation value to R-20 (U=.05), which is better than many solid walls!

The National Guard has been very satisfied with the results. Gene Macapinlac, the project architect explains; “We have had great feedback from both the soldiers and local community. They tell us the center is bright, open and welcoming; providing an excellent space in which to work and train. The Greenlief AFRC, we believe, represents a new standard in Training Center design and function. It supports the U.S. Army’s commitment to reducing energy consumption and to provide sustainable facilities. The decision to use Kalwall + Nanogel translucent windows has reduced their daily use of overhead lighting and promises to be a key component in reducing their year-round HVAC costs”.

The U.S. Army is well-known for its innovations in defense technology but not usually for its innovations in architecture. Using the Kalwall + Nanogel system in this facility means the troops get to enjoy all the benefits which natural daylight brings to their health, well-being and productivity. At the same time, the facility is saving money and energy and, importantly, using materials that are environmentally friendly and recyclable because Kalwall is 100% recyclable by weight and Nanogel aerogel is a Silver Cradle to CradleCM certified material by MBDC.