Fort Lewis Sustainability and Green Building

Colonel Cynthia Murphy explains Fort Lewis Master Plan

Fort Lewis is a leading force for sustainability within the U.S. Army and in 2002 became one of the first Army installations to implement a sustainability program. One of the program's early goals was to construct sustainable buildings.

In one of its first attempts to realize this goal, Fort Lewis designed and built its 2003 Whole Barracks Renewal project using the Sustainable Project Rating Toom, or SPiRiT. The project used alternative materials such as stained and polished concrete flooring. It achieved energy savings through a heat recovery system that pulls heat from dryer vents and circulates it throughout the building. Water savings were achieved through a rainwater harvesting system. Subsequently, the Fort Lewis installation sustainability program adopted the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED standard.

Since then, Fort Lewis has continued to make green construction progress. The 2004 project was the first on Fort Lewis to be awarded the Silver Certification for LEED - 90% of construction waste was recycled. The project in 2005 exceeded LEED baseline energy conservation requirements by 36% and produced an annual energy cost savings of $30,000. Moreover, 50% of the wood that was used for formwork, cabinetry, and doors is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.

True to the principles of sustainability, in 2007 Fort Lewis adopted a more holistic desing approach that moved beyond facility construction. A new master plan was developed that made creating sustainable neighborhoods a prime objective - places where Soldiers and Families can live, work, and have opportunities for recreation. These sustainable neighborhoods are key to tying green buildings together for a truly sustainable installation.

As Fort Lewis continues to work toward sustainability, tools such as LEED will remain critical. New tools, such as the sustainable master planning will help build on the foundations of green buildings to reach even higher levels of sustainability in the years to come.