Navy Air Reserve Station

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The Naval Reserve Force in New Orleans, Louisiana, requested a new prototype for their reserve center training facilities as programmed in the Navy’s “Project 2001” study. The Naval Reserve Center in Meridian is the prototype for all new reserve training centers throughout the United States. The funding for this project was a combination of eighty-percent state funding and twenty percent funding from the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors.

This structure was designed to fit within the parameters of the Master Plan for the Meridian Naval Air Station, including matching the brick of existing buildings on the site. However, the building’s design itself reflects the Reservists’ importance to the naval ships and planes that protect the United States. The combination of airfoil and steel decking used on the exterior of the building is reminiscent of spaces on support ships and aircraft carriers.

The interior is designed to be a functional training facility with the auditorium, drill hall and classrooms all being designed for flexibility of use. Natural lighting is used wherever possible to improve the quality of the learning spaces within the building.

The building is designed to meet all ADA code and fire protection requirements of the Meridian Naval Air Station. It is intended to be a high-quality, low-maintenance space that will serve the Navy for many decades to come.

The infrastructure for complete computer integration and connection to the Navy computer system was installed as part of the construction process. There are also video connections to all training spaces throughout the building and uplink capabilities to a central distribution space for future expansion.

As a prototype structure, this design has already been referenced as an example for the Naval Reserve Training Center planned in Maine.