8th Air Force Headquarters Building, Barksdale Air Force Base

The 8th Air Force Headquarters Building's historic renovation is unique in that a fire-damaged 1930s-era facility has been converted into a state-of-the-art military communication facility.

The building was classified as one of national historic significance, which required adhering to/or following a strict regiment of historic renovation/restoration design and construction techniques.

The restoration guidelines and approval by the State Historical Preservation Officer dictated what was acceptable in the design and renovation/restoration of the building. These included repair of the exterior stucco façade. Additionally, the new replacement windows required significant attention to detail in the design and replication of the original size and style of frame and layout to replicate the original sight lines.

The design of the building incorporated elements required by Central Intelligence Directive 1/21. This document provides for very strict conformance to design and construction of numerous types of Sensitive Compartment Information Facilities that require controlled access, physical protection of ducts, vents and penetrations.

Windows meeting many different design criteria, based on their physical location, are constructed accordingly. There are also certain specifications for vaults and conference areas required by the directive. For accreditation, the areas must meet the requirements of a very stringent checklist. Some items included peripheral security, doors, intrusion detection systems, secured telephone systems and acoustical protection.

Further complicating the project was the addition of an elevator, three stairwells and the relocations of two original stairwells in the existing building. This was one of the more significant constructability issues that were overcome to make the project a success.

The historic restoration and newly updated building code requirements also presented a difficult challenge to overcome, specifically the requirement for bomb blast resistant glass. There were no historically accurate blast resistant windows on the market. The design and construction team was able to meet these requirements with the help of a cooperative vendor and design approval was secured.