Situated as the symbolic heart of a newly transformed three million-sf research and administrative campus, the General Service Administration’s (GSA) and US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new Central Shared Use Building was recognized by two leading professional societies in the Mid-Atlantic region. A/E/I design firm KlingStubbins, in association with RTKL, was honored with an Award of Merit for Excellence in Architecture from the American Institute of Architects Washington, D.C., Chapter for their design of the 137,000-sf facility. The third building to open on the FDA’s White Oak, Md. campus houses amenities such as a cafeteria, fitness center, and training rooms for a planned FDA population of over 7,700 people. In addition, the facility earned honors at this year’s American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)’s Region III conference in Norfolk, Va., winning a First Place Award in the New Institutional Building category for outstanding achievement in the application of heating, refrigeration, and air-conditioning technology.
As the central meeting point for all FDA employees at White Oak, the Central Shared Use Building fulfills the promise of the new campus as a place for collaboration and interaction. Bridging between historic Building One and the new Campus Commons, the building symbolizes the transformation of White Oak from a weapons research facility to a 21st century campus for one of the world’s foremost institutions. Demonstrating GSA’s and FDA’s commitment to the environment, the building is a showcase for sustainable design, featuring a green roof that will be visible from the surrounding buildings. In the next phase of construction, the three-story central atrium will be opened to the historic lobby of Building One and the formal entrance forecourt, serving as the main arrival point for visitors and employees entering the campus. The project, which broke ground in November of 2004 and reached completion in summer of 2006, is registered with the US Green Building Council and meets all LEED Silver level design criteria.
