Kentucky Army National Guard

In addition to its main function as the headquarters for the hometown defense force, the new Readiness Center serves as the base of operations in times of natural disaster and other emergencies. The facility provides ready access for aircraft during natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and winter storms as well as homeland security missions. It can also be used to conduct training for federal, state and local civilian authorities and to provide a rapid-response facility for search and rescue missions in conjunction with the Civil Air Patrol and other emergency agencies. This building also consists of administrative offices, storage facilities, classrooms and a drill hall. The facility allows the community to utilize the space for private events as well.

Incorporating sustainable elements were important in the design of this building in order to experience energy efficiency and cost savings. Some of the sustainable features include the sophisticated Variable Refrigerant Volume (VRV) HVAC system, daylight harvesting techniques, solar shades to reduce the amount of incoming heat during summer months and increasing solar rays in the winter, and fully automated lighting systems and HVAC controls that fluctuate with increased or decreased occupancy.

The community of Owensboro is thrilled to have a safe haven right in their back yard. The new state-of-the-art facility has brought Owensboro to the forefront of military readiness.

This project was a design/build project with A&K Construction of Paducah, KY.