KANSAS CITY, Missouri — A testament to the firm’s dedication to project quality, Burns & McDonnell has received three United States Air Force (USAF) Design Awards. Two were received in the Facility Design category and one in the Facility Renovations and Additions category.

The USAF Design Award winners are:

McConnell Air Force Base Air Traffic Control Tower, Facility Design Award

Towering over the plains of south-central Kansas stands a new 10-story air traffic control tower (ATCT) at McConnell Air Force Base. A transformational improvement from the previous structure that had suffered from operational challenges for more than 50 years, the new tower features a storm shelter, conference room, chief and assistant chief controller offices, administration offices, computer training rooms, restrooms with showers, control tower equipment room and a break room. As the prime architect-engineer, Burns & McDonnell provided full design services and construction phase services for the new ATCT, with the team’s proactive planning during the earliest stages of design saving the Air Force more than $455,000 at project completion. Sustainable design for the new structure was a must, with the tower achieving LEED Silver certification. The project also received an ENR Midwest Best Project award and an ENR Midwest Safety Award – Award of Merit.

Pittsburgh Air Reserve Station C-17 Hangar, Facility Design Award

An aircraft of massive proportions requires a hangar of even greater proportions. With the conversion from the C-130 Hercules to the more modern and agile C-17 Globemaster III, which is double the size of its predecessor, the 911th Air Reserve Wing at Pittsburgh Air Reserve Station needed more space to allow aircrews to perform maintenance on the new aircraft. A new 115,500 square-foot, two-bay hangar was designed, featuring a corrosion control area, fuel system bay, and over 28,000 square feet of maintenance shops, administrative areas, showers and lockers, equipment and engine storage space, and paint rooms. Burns & McDonnell provided design and construction phase services for the project, including master planning, site surveys, interior design, cost estimating and on-site inspections. The hangar allows the crew to maintain up to two C-17 aircraft concurrently, with proper space to perform necessary inspections and maintenance.

Burlington Air National Guard Base F-35 Maintenance Hangar Renovation, Facility Renovations and Additions Award

Safety and facility resilience are key priorities when designing maintenance facilities for the most complex and sophisticated fighter jet in the world, in one of the coldest areas of the country. As part of the U.S. Air National Guard’s first beddown of the F-35 Lightning II, Burns & McDonnell provided planning, design and construction phase services for the renovation of a 44,800-square-foot maintenance hangar capable of accommodating the new aircraft. The renovation required significant upgrades to the facility structure, systems and utility infrastructure in order to provide necessary utilities for the new aircraft and to bring the facility up to current codes and standards. The hangar is designed to withstand 40 pounds per square foot of snow load, 115 mph basic wind speeds, and has a 60-inch frost penetration depth.

“Burns & McDonnell is proud to receive three USAF design awards this year, recognizing our dedication to project success and our long-term mission support to USAF, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and the Air Force Civil Engineer Center,” says Dave Barr, leader of the Federal Group and a vice president at Burns & McDonnell. “We look forward to delivering more state-of-the-art infrastructure solutions and continuing to serve as a proven partner for our federal clients.”

About Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 7,600 engineers, construction professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities. Founded in 1898 and working from more than 60 offices globally, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned. Learn how we are designed to build.