LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
Senior U.S. Air Force leaders from the 633rd Air Base Wing officially opened the newly constructed LaSalle Avenue Gate at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Langley Air Force Base, Va., July 19, 2013.
The LaSalle Gate renovation was the second and final phase of recent construction efforts and now boasts three inbound and two outbound traffic lanes, an inspection station and an environmentally friendly Visitors' Center with an extended parking lot.
According to Paul Petersen, 633rd Civil Engineer Squadron architect, the 2,700 square-foot Visitors' Center will serve as a fully-operational pass and identification center, providing an efficient, professional experience for those interested in entering the instillation.
"[This gate] can be the first thing a visitor will see when coming to Langley, and it will provide the first image of the base," he said. "It's important to provide an image becoming of the military, while helping the visitor."
Aside from providing a professional image, the center was designed with sustainability and local ecology in mind.
The building is outfitted with high-level, clerestory windows to provide increased natural lighting, decreasing the need for overhead lights, a sun shade to decrease the output of an air conditioning unit during the summer months, and water catch basins to reduce harmful erosion and runoff into the nearby bay.
Upon completion, the center received a silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.
LEED is a rating system developed by the USGBC designed to provide building owners and operators a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.
The center was graded on five areas of quantifiable green initiatives including site sustainability, indoor environment, recycled resources, and water and electrical efficiency.
"The measures taken to receive a LEED certification save energy and reduce our carbon footprint on the earth," said Petersen. "We are not only adhering to the standards the federal government puts on the civilian sector, but we are trying to lead the way."
The LaSalle Gate is fully operational and open 24 hours a day, while the Visitors' Center is open Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 764-7770.