The Defense Logistics Agency Aviation Operations Center project came to fruition under a 2009 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract. The project was originally scoped to be a three-phase, three-building campus, located at the Defense Supply Center Richmond (DSCR) on the south side of Virginia’s capital city. The USACE Norfolk District’s staff of architects and engineers provided master planning and preliminary design services for Phase I of the complex.

While the USACE was working through the facility’s initial design challenges, Waller, Todd & Sadler Architects—which later became Waller, Todd and Sadler, a Woolpert Company—was working on numerous USACE/Department of Defense projects throughout the region. These included Arlington National Cemetery, Fort Lee, Fort A.P. Hill and Rivanna Station. In December 2013, the USACE engaged WTS to take Phase I of the DLA Ops project from 35% design level to final design, and ultimately through bidding and construction.

We began our planning efforts by hosting a design charrette and inviting all facility stakeholders to participate. These included representatives from the nine directorates, other essential DLA staff, USACE designers of record and even USACE construction personnel. We spent a week together, sharing ideas, manipulating the footprint, space planning, consolidating information and identifying solutions. This approach gave all stakeholders a sense of ownership and understanding, which would be essential to a successful delivery. Once our design team had collected the necessary data, we began a yearlong endeavor to take the project through to construction.

We estimated it would take nearly three years to complete Phase I of the DLA Ops Center. After mobilization efforts, the general contractor demolished portions of two World War II era warehouses that served as offices and storage facilities for DSCR. This was followed by drilling activities to place over 300 geothermal wells for a high-tech heating and cooling system, as well as placing piles for our building foundation. Extensive coordination and planning by WTS, Norfolk District and the contractor were key to meeting the completion schedule. In early 2018, DLA employees from all directorates moved into the newly constructed DLA Ops Phase I facility.

Applying Lessons Learned to Subsequent Phases
After the completion of Phase I, the Norfolk District reached out to WTS to discuss lessons learned before moving forward with Phase II. We collaborated with the USACE construction group and the general contractor to glean their perspective on what we could have done better, more efficiently, more cost-effectively or where the project could have saved time.

As a result, in the summer of 2018, we were rewarded with the contract to begin the Phase II project with a new design charrette and 35% design effort. During the charrette, our lessons learned were implemented into Phase II, and the “three-phase, three-facility” approach was reduced to two phases and two facilities. We applied the same standard method of data collection for Phase II that we had for Phase I. Our team interviewed, investigated and documented design options for the six directorates and existing facilities that would relocate to the Phase II facility.

In the newly scoped Phase II project, we accommodated over 1,600 DLA employees within another five-story, 282,000-square-foot facility. The Phase II facility would require the demolition of a 288,000-square-foot World War II-era warehouse facility, which was home to many of the functions that would become part of the Phase I and Phase II facilities. Similar to the first project, this one required a full year of design and engaged in a value engineering process to confirm it was progressing efficiently and cost-effectively. Construction on the Phase II facility began in January 2021 and is slated to be completed in January 2024.

Teamwork = Success
Federal government projects present unique challenges that are not present in many other markets. Most federal government personnel, including those at the DLA Ops, are on “assignment” before being commissioned to other opportunities. Amid these command changes, duty changes, retirements and other personnel challenges, we provided design leadership and continuity to meet the needs of the DLA Aviation group, the Norfolk District and DSCR to provide this new state-of-the-art campus. We had our own change of assignment as well, as WTS merged with Woolpert in January 2019. Fortunately, due to great perseverance, well-crafted design strategy and outstanding teamwork throughout, we were able to proudly deliver a successful product to our client.