Suite life in store for 101st Airborne Division

Published Dec. 18, 2014
The steel structure and fabricated wood wall panels are going up on the new HHB Barracks, which will house Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell.

The steel structure and fabricated wood wall panels are going up on the new HHB Barracks, which will house Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell.

A rendering of the new three-story HHB barracks at Fort Campbell that will house 296 Soldiers.

A rendering of the new three-story HHB barracks at Fort Campbell that will house 296 Soldiers.

Walls are going up on a new three-story Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion (HHB) barracks, which will house 296 Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell giving them fresh, modern facilities designed to improve the quality of life for single Soldiers.

Fort Campbell, located on the Kentucky-Tennessee border, is home to the only Air Assault division in the world—the 101st Airborne Division. The HHB barracks Unaccompanied Housing (UH) project is one of the few projects providing modern facilities for the 101st Airborne Division.

“This project holds great significance to Fort Campbell and specifically to the Soldiers of the 101st Division,” said Rodney Boyd, project manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Louisville District. “The opportunity to provide living quarters that have the latest technology and building systems with a sense of comfort and convenience for Soldiers is a great honor.”

The Louisville District awarded the $25.75 million project to Sundt Construction, Inc., Tempe, Arizona, which began work in March 2014. The project—nearly a quarter complete, with fabricated wood wall panels being erected in November—is expected to be ready to house Soldiers by October 2015.

The more than 110,000 square feet will include 148 suites, featuring apartment-style units with two bedrooms and one bathroom each.

“The most important part of the new HHB barracks is that it will exceed the Army’s current standards for single Soldier living environment,” said Marvin Brown, Fort Campbell housing specialist.

The modern barracks will be equipped with bigger common areas with flat screen televisions, pool tables and foosball tables, an internet café and separate living spaces making them more comfortable for the single Soldiers who reside there.

“We are committed to the quality of life of the single Soldier,” said Brown. “So with every new barracks built, we feel that we are accomplishing that inherent commitment to our Soldiers.”

The new facility was designed with sustainability in mind and meets Leadership in Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certifications by the U.S. Green Building Council. Planning and design processes helped to establish goals for the site, energy, water, materials and indoor environmental quality that would have to be followed throughout the design, construction and the lifecycle of the building. Some features include water reduction measures like low-flow toilets and shower heads. Measures were also put in place to optimize energy performance and reduce environmental impact through the use of recycled content and waste diversion.

“This project will get Soldiers out of less desirable accommodations and enable the demolition of antiquated barracks of yesteryear,” Brown said.

The barracks will replace the old Hammerhead barracks, built during the Korean War era approximately 65 years ago, which are being demolished.