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Breaking Ground for a New Beginning

By Anna Heiney
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

With a flick of their shovels, the leaders and builders of Kennedy Space Center’s future broke ground Oct. 7 for a new headquarters building that will serve as the centerpiece for the Florida spaceport’s new Central Campus.

Kennedy is transforming into a modernized, multi-user launch center capable of accommodating government and commercial partners. The new headquarters exemplifies the economic and environmental benefits of consolidating aging facilities into an efficient, sustainable campus that helps set the stage for the center’s future.

“This is a sign that the Kennedy Space Center is continuing to move forward in our transition,” said Kennedy Director Bob Cabana.

“This facility is going to reduce our operating costs significantly as we consolidate, as we tear down these old facilities that we have, and move toward a greener Kennedy Space Center.”

The ceremony was held in a green space between the existing headquarters and another historic spaceport facility, the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building.

When the time came to dig into the soil, Cabana was joined by Kelvin Manning, Kennedy’s associate director; Nancy Bray, director of Kennedy’s Center Operations Directorate; Dan Tweed, director for facilities, Center Operations Directorate; Steve Belflower, vice president of HuntonBrady Architects of Orlando; and Kirk Hazen, southeast district manager and vice president of Hensel Phelps, the construction contractor.

Carrying the space theme, each floor of the 200,000-square-foot headquarters building will be accented with the colors of planets in our solar system, with soothing Earth-toned break rooms. Energy-efficient LED lighting will illuminate offices throughout the facility. Cost-saving, environmentally friendly innovations continue outside with reflective roofing materials, dual electric vehicle battery charging stations in parking areas, and landscaping with native plants to reduce the need for watering.

“This new facility will take us into the next 50 years of space exploration,” said Bray. Throughout the course of the entire Central Campus construction project, 450,000 square feet will be built, but about 900,000 will be taken down, Bray explained.

“The Central Campus will provide us more energy efficiency and will be more cost effective, and that allows us to put more money into our mission,” she added.

In addition to its financial and environmental savings, the new headquarters building also is meant to inspire, reminding employees and visitors alike of the center’s role in space exploration.

“We were charged with designing an iconic building, and I think we achieved it,” Belflower said.

The building’s design depicts a tower at the east end, topped by a soaring roofline reminiscent of a sail – which Belflower explained was the intent.

“The sail element harkens back to the heritage of Kennedy Space Center and all of the launches and missions that began here,” he said.

When the new headquarters opens, it will house about 500 NASA and contractor employees in a state-of-the-art workspace befitting the accomplishments to come. Construction is expected to last through late 2016.

“To the team that helped make this happen, thank you,” Cabana said.

“I cannot wait to see the final results in a couple of years.”

For more information on the new headquarters building, visit Kennedy’s Central Campus website.