Mortenson to Construct Fort Irwin Unaccompanied Enlisted Personnel Housing (UEPH)

Fort Irwin, TX - The Fort Worth District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded Mortenson's Federal Contracting Group a design-build contract for the new Unaccompanied Enlisted Personnel Housing (UEPH) at Fort Irwin.

Working with design partner TranSystems, this project involves the design and construction of attractive and comfortable living accommodations for single soldiers. The Fort Irwin UEPH will consist of two-person living units equipped with two single bedrooms and shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. Fort Irwin is located in the High Mojave Desert, surrounded by desert hills and mountains, with broad wind-swept vistas of sparse vegetation under blue sky and intense sun. Architecturally, the new UEPH will be designed to reflect the warm earth tone colors of that desert landscape and provide appropriate overhangs and shading against the sun during the hot summer months. The new facility is intended to provide a safe haven, with architectural features to encourage interaction among soldiers and a help create a sense of community in a very remote setting.

The two-story UEPH will consist of two wings constructed in an L-shaped configuration, with an enclosed central lobby at their intersection point. The insulated metal stud cavity walls of the structure will be sheathed in earth-toned EIFS (Exterior Insulated and Finish System) with CMU wainscot surrounding the first floor exterior. Standing seam metal roofs and well insulated second floor ceilings will fend off heat from the intense sunlight and provide overhangs to shade bedroom windows on all sides.

Taking full advantage of its sun-baked desert locale, the UEPH will utilize solar technology for heating water, with solar panels doing double duty, collecting heat and providing shade for outdoor seating areas adjacent to the central lobby. In addition to solar energy, the UEPH will have a number of other sustainable design attributes to achieve its intended goal of LEED® Silver certification, including recycled and regional materials, reduced water usage and efficient mechanical system performance.

Fort Irwin is located in Hesperia, CA, approximately 150 miles southwest of Las Vegas, NV. Fort Irwin is home to the 11th Armored Cavalry (Blackhorse) Regiment, formed in 1901, just after the Spanish American War. Blackhorse trains Army units in the brutally harsh climate of the Mojave Desert and are known for their tough and uncompromising standards.