Ohio Firm Gets Contract To Modernize U.S. Defense Department Schools
Woolpert,
an architectural and engineering firm based in
Dayton, OH, has signed a new contract with the United States Department of
Defense to
design and manage construction of 180 schools the department operates
around
the world.
Woolpert has worked on the 21st Century
Education
project for the Defense Department since 2004. The re-signing of the
contract
will be on an annual basis with the option to continue it through 2018.
The
contract, worth about $10 million to Woolpert, will distribute an
additional
$50 million to other construction contractors around the world.
On the Defense Department's list of schools to
renovate — some
more than 50 years old — are 60 in the United States, 71 in Europe and
49 in
Asia.
The redesigned school buildings will feature open,
flexible
spaces that can accommodate multiple learning and teaching styles. An
example
is the Barkley Elementary School at Fort Campbell, KY, which has won
several
design and sustainability awards.
Most of the work will be performed in conjunction
with the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Department
of Defense Education Activities agency.
"Congress has made it a national priority to replace
obsolete
school facilities serving military families," said David Ziegman,
Woolpert's
military practice leader and vice president. "We're pleased to lend our
firm's
experience in school design and construction."
Earlier this month, Woolpert, which provides
engineering and
geospatial mapping services, became the first commercial entity to be
allowed
to fly unmanned systems for commercial uses and last month it won a
$32-million
contract to gather data for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.