Hensel Phelps Achieves Final Completion of Five Buildings at the FBI North Campus on Redstone Arsenal

The vision for the FBI to expand its presence at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama is closer to fruition with Hensel Phelps achieving final completion of the Operations Support Building (OSB), Central Utility Plant (CUP), Health, Wellness and Resiliency Center (HWRC) and Technology 1 Building in 2022. 

This marks two completed projects by Hensel Phelps for the FBI on the North Campus, and the first of two technology buildings, constructed to support the Bureau’s extensive expansion and is expected to bring several jobs to the North Alabama community. This in turn will help stimulate the local Huntsville economy with an influx of employees moving to the area to work in said newly complete buildings. 

The FBI has had a presence at Redstone Arsenal for more than 50 years and was offered the opportunity by the US Army to build its capabilities, create new partnerships and ultimately further its mission. The agency has secured funding to increase its footprint in the area, with a focus on technology, innovation and bringing several additional FBI employees to the area. 

“The decision to relocate programs and jobs to Redstone Arsenal is part of an integrated strategy to organize and structure the FBI for the future. With the opening of the Technology 1 Building the FBI is able to apply its expansion strategy with a broad range of technology by focusing our investments on enterprise and applied technology and advanced and specialized training throughout the next decade and beyond,” said FBI Deputy Assistant Director Kathleen Mills.

The Operations Support Building (OSB) is the signature building of the North Campus and establishes the design language for all future construction on the campus. The building is prominently placed at the site’s main vehicular entrance. The large, concave four-story entry and significant roof overhang provides a dramatic first impression upon approach to the campus. 

The building’s exterior façade consists of architectural precast panels and expansive amounts of glazing. These materials are arranged to provide a strong base for the structure that accents the rhythmic pattern of the glazing. The four story OSB is divided into three wings totaling approximately 310,000 square feet. The main lobby, located in the Center Wing on the first and second floor, is called the “Collision Zone.” This space is accessible through a staircase located on the southwest corner of the building and from the main courtyard entry point. The central feature is a multifunctional oval staircase.  

In addition to vertical circulation, the stairs also provide theater style seating for presentations and collaborative workspace for daily use. The oval staircase faces a large LED video wall which serves multiple functions, including conveying information or broadcasting news programs during normal operations. Additionally, it serves as a backdrop for speakers during presentations and a portable stage allows the space to be used for collaboration. 

A large opening allows for additional viewing opportunities of presentations from the second floor as well as collaboration style seating. A vestibule area is located at the main courtyard entry for visual screening of occupants and escorted visitors entering the building. 

The Collision Zone also contains two food service areas, a visitor conference room, storage rooms and support spaces. The upper floors of the Center Wing and most of the East & North Wings house employee workspaces which includes individual work settings, group spaces, community rooms and support spaces. The workspace area is separated from the Collision Zone by a one-hour rating, accomplished by providing automated horizontal fire doors or rated glazing assembly. The building includes demountable partitions to allow for a dynamic workspace where rooms can be changed or moved. 

Each room, with respective partitions, have in wall conduits to support AV functions as well. The ground level of the North Wing houses Shipping and Receiving, the IT Workroom, the Redstone Operations Center (ROC) and Nurses’ Suite in addition to employee workspaces. 

“Hensel Phelps cannot be more proud of the efforts put forth from the talented trade partners that in  many instances traveled from across the country and worked 6-7 days/week throughout the duration of the project to get us across the finish line,” said Hensel Phelps Project Superintendent Sean Crowe. 

The Health, Wellness and Resiliency Center (HWRC) is comprised of two buildings (Fitness Center & Community Building, as well as a Pavilion space); a 23,000 square foot, single-story facility, that serves as a service point for the campus and contains outdoor gathering spaces, a retail location for the FBI Recreation Association, a grab and go café that offers made to order sandwiches and salads, an office for the Employee Assistance Program, and a credit union automated teller machine.

A 6,000 square foot pavilion, featuring a canopy and precast half walls that connect the HWRC to the 12,000 square foot Fitness Facility. The Fitness Facility offers group exercise classes, resistance machines, treadmills, spin bikes, elliptical machines, and free weights which support fit-for-duty requirements. 

The Technology 1 Building is a four-story, 87,000 square foot building that houses administrative and technical space. The Type IIA construction consists of structural steel framing with open web steel joists, architectural precast panels, curtainwall/storefront windows and standing seam metal roofing. Its unique features include raised access flooring, security enhancements, as well as heavy IT/communications. 

To support the building’s groups and their missions, the project includes a state-of-the-art telecommunication system. The Technology 1 Building is the first of several new buildings that will house different divisions of the FBI. This building serves as office space for multiple groups and will house several employees. 

The design merges the technology sector aesthetic with practical functionality. The project features an interior communal break area and outdoor spaces to emphasize a campus-style environment. The design communicates the FBI’s commitment to providing a modern work environment that balances the space’s mission with the workforce’s wellbeing. The design team accomplished this vision by providing ample collaboration space to allow cross-functional or interdepartmental teams the opportunity to effectively work together. 

Hensel Phelps completed several delegated design items, including raised access flooring, two site retaining walls, aggregate geopiers and the furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) package. The Technology 1 Building is designed and constructed to LEED Silver standards.

“I’ve been with Hensel Phelps for 17 years. I am the Project Manager of the team that completed the Commons and Technology 1 Project in January of 2022, and I was thrilled with the energy and commitment to excellence I saw over and over again. With everyone’s hard work, our team successfully turned over the buildings, while also driving towards a successful 100% security inspection ahead of accreditation,” said Hensel Phelps Project Manager Marcus Davis. 

“This doesn’t happen by accident. Our success was truly a team effort, and the Government was there supporting us the entire way, by showing grit, while meeting every challenge. I’d like to acknowledge the incredible FBI professionals who showed up every day and made our success possible” continued Davis.