When the Army Needs a Fitness Center That Works Everywhere, the Energy Model Has to Work Everywhere Too
OUR INSIGHT
The answer wasn't air conditioning; it was understanding why the building was struggling and finding a solution that worked with its passive design instead of against it.
The Challenge
The Department of Defense needed a single fitness center design, the H2F Readiness facility, that could be replicated across multiple U.S. installations, each with its own climate, utility rates, and code compliance requirements. The project carried three simultaneous performance targets: exceed ASHRAE 90.1 by 30%, achieve LEED Silver, and deliver a fully all-electric building. A standard energy model built for one location would have left the team flying blind on whether the design could actually meet those targets anywhere else it was deployed.
Our Role
We worked directly within Coffman Engineers' design competition team, providing the technical energy modeling layer that their internal process needed to substantiate the DOD's performance requirements. Our multi-location modeling gave Coffman the site-specific data to move forward with a replicable design, and the early identification of the 30% savings gap gave the team time to develop a defensible cost justification rather than a compliance problem.
The Result
A complete energy efficiency design substantiation report was delivered, including ASHRAE 90.1 2019 Appendix G compliance modeling, LEED v4.1 EA credit analysis, and thermal load calculations for mechanical system sizing, all run across both installation sites. The design as modeled is projected to reduce annual energy costs by approximately $5,500 at Fort Liberty and $4,800 at Fort Moore, and achieves 6 of 18 possible LEED EA credits at both locations. The report also established the baseline inputs and methodology for the life cycle cost assessment now in development to evaluate the path to the full 30% savings target.
Services
Building Energy Analysis | Electrification | Thermal Load Calculations | HVAC Optimization
OWNER: Department of Defense (DOD)
ARCHITECT: Coffman Engineers
LOCATION: Fort Liberty, NC/Fort Moore, GA
YEAR: 2024
SIZE: 32,000 sf