Air Force Fitness Center Earns Platinum

A new 75,000 square foot fitness center at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida opens tomorrow. Built to LEED specifications, it is expected to earn a Platinum rating under the auspices of LEED for New Construction, according to the article. If the Platinum certification is granted, it will become the first Defense Department building to earn such a high certification.

The new building, which cost $18 million to construct, includes an energy-efficient roof, a  photovoltaic solar array that will help produce nine percent of the facility’s energy needs, regionally-sourced products, and water saving features that will reduce the facility’s use by 40 percent, compared with a conventionally constructed building.

“The design of the structure was recognized by the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment with a Merit Award for Concept Design,” said Brian Allen, 325th Civil Engineer Squadron mechanical engineer and project manager, in an article about the facility. “The facility will account for $45,000 in annual energy cost savings, compared to a similar sized building without the same energy saving features.”

The “Fit to Fight” fitness center features two basketball courts, racquetball courts, male and female locker rooms, a massage therapy room, a parent-child area, and a Health and Wellness Center, which will provide personal counseling on healthy eating habits, quitting tobacco use, and healthy lifestyle advice supporting the Air Force’s focus on Airmen being “fit to fight.” The facility will be staffed by 15 personnel and is expected to serve more than 900 people per day, according to the article.

The building is also built to withstand Category 3 hurricane winds—an important design consideration in Florida’s Panhandle, where the base is located.

---
Chris Timmerman
Contributing Writer
Green Education Services
www.greenedu.com

Comments

[mark thompson]

As a recent enlistee to the Air Force Reserve after being out for over 10 years, Air Force Fitness is important to me considering we have the test. I've started a site to help build up a great resource for those needing information on passing the fitness test. Please visit and comment. With your feedback the site will become much stronger. Thanks. www.airforce-fitness.com.