VAA returned for our second project at the Blackwell Civilian Conservation Center, a dormitory for the 205 young residents enrolled in the Jobs Corps program.
This single story building with a center mezzanine is long with a sloped shingled roof. It is designed with structural wood and timber systems including wood roof trusses, timber trusses, and a center wood stud bearing wall. Masonry bearing walls provide lateral load resistance. The exterior is brick to provide durability of use and maintenance.
The center of the building is higher in order to accommodate the mechanical equipment. The air exchange and heating units sit where the roof slopes come together and then pop up as a dormer. Below this are a small number of offices and the mezzanine level. The facility is hydronically heated with hot water heat from the center area down halls and back in order to heat the rooms. The facility has a wood mezzanine with wood floor trusses that span bearing wall to bearing wall to support the heavy mechanical load. This area can be accessed from the exterior. Architectural design consideration included large fifteen foot by eight foot louvers for intake and exhaust air that covered the side of the wall.
The building has a short wing used mainly for a lounge with tightly spaced windows. The number of windows left a very perforated wall, creating a structural design challenge. Additionally the roof area in this wing was exposed, so large glue lam wood trusses with “architectural” connection plates and lag screws were specified. This enabled this wing to have a similar profile as the rest of the building but provide more aesthetic appeal.
VAA also provided civil engineering services on this project, which included branching the utilities off the main lines and building a retention pond to deal with storm water.
