JBR032 Alaska Army National Guard Readiness Center

Owner:  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Architect: MCG Explore Design

The Alaska Army National Guard Readiness Center at Camp Carroll is a 48,300 SF design‑build facility that delivers a modern, mission‑ready environment for training, administration, logistics, and daily operations. Guided by the interior concept “Under the Canopy,” the building blends functional clarity with a strong connection to Alaska’s landscape, using a single‑level, looped‑corridor layout that ensures intuitive navigation and seamless circulation during both routine and high‑traffic events.

The Readiness Center supports the full operational requirements of three AKARNG units, including a general‑purpose training and maintenance bay, assembly hall, commercial kitchen, heated storage for each unit, controlled hazardous waste and POL storage, secure rooms, arms vaults, and administrative offices. A backup generator ensures uninterrupted operation during extended utility outages, while a designated paved organizational parking and staging area supports military vehicle operations and unit readiness.

A high‑massing entry and central assembly space anchor the facility, bringing in daylight and mountain views that reinforce the building’s sense of purpose. Classrooms, offices, and support spaces are arranged to strengthen collaboration and operational awareness, while logistics‑driven features - direct‑access storage, TA‑50 rooms at the loading dock, and an efficiently connected kitchen - support rapid mobilization and streamlined daily operations.

The building envelope uses insulated metal panels over light‑gauge framing to deliver durability, energy performance, and low maintenance. Two roof systems - a standing‑seam metal gable roof and a fully adhered EPDM low‑slope roof - provide long‑term resilience. Triple‑glazed low‑e windows, thermally broken punched frames, a curtainwall entry, and translucent polycarbonate panels maximize daylighting, passive heating, and indoor environmental quality.

Foundations consist of reinforced concrete spread footings and slabs‑on‑grade placed over engineered structural fill compacted to 95 percent. Footings were sized for combined gravity, snow, wind, and seismic loads, with uplift and overturning resistance achieved through structural dead load and soil overburden. All design followed the project geotechnical recommendations to ensure performance in Alaska’s challenging soils and seismic conditions.

A dedicated expansion zone on the west end preserves long‑term flexibility, allowing the facility to grow with mission needs without disrupting circulation or operations. Overall, the Readiness Center provides a cohesive, resilient, and future‑focused environment that strengthens the Guard’s operational capability while reflecting the character of Alaska.