United States Army Corps of Engineers | Eglin Air Force Base Hospital

Opened in 1935 as the Valparaiso Bombing and Gunnery Base, Eglin Air Force Base has played a prominent role in United States airpower history. The base is located near Valparaiso, Florida and is home to many units, including the 96th Test Wing, which tests and evaluates non-nuclear munitions, electronic combat systems and navigation systems, and 33rd Fighter Wing "Nomads," the air force's first graduate flying and maintenance training program.

Government MATOC projects, such as Eglin Air Force Base Hospital, are unique in the fact that prospective design and contractor firms put out a furniture bid to dealerships before they themselves have even been awarded the project. They then use the winning furniture pricing as part of their own bid on the actual construction project, in order to secure a furniture procurement “team” that will serve through the duration of the project. This process can take years, and the projects themselves are often completed in multiple phases and combinations of new work and renovation. This complexity presents challenges such as negotiating price holds and problem solving due to discontinued or amended products.

In the case of Eglin Air Force Base Hospital project, encompas won the bid through JE Dunn and Hoefer Wysocki Architects due to our very competitive pricing and strong relationships with the firms. These relationships allowed us to easily keep open communication lines throughout the project so that we could head off the aforementioned challenges. For more than three years and over 20 phases, encompas collaborated both with Architect and Contractor in order to meet installation deadlines, despite the complex schedule and changing site conditions associated with renovation. This is yet another way that the integrated teamwork at encompas can respond with agility to client needs.

PROJECT LOCATION
Eglin Air Force Base, Florida

COMPLETION DATE
April 2014

ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN FIRM
Hoefer Wysocki Architects

GENERAL CONTRACTOR
JE Dunn

PHOTOGRAPHY
Eric Marcus Photography