Marshall Space Flight Center, Project Engineer Office, Rideout Road, Huntsville

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS AL-999-C. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Marshall Space Flight Center, Project Engineer Office was built using curtain wall construction in the first half of the and is thus representative of the increasing use of this type of construction in office and institutional buildings. The contemporary building projected the image of Marshall Space Flight Center, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as being at the forefront of modernity and technology.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS AL-999-C. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Recording of Marshall Space Flight Center s Administrative Complex was completed in by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), part of Heritage Documentation Programs, for NASA s George C. Marshall Space Flight Center It was conducted under the general direction of Richard O Connor, Chief, Heritage Documentation Programs and Melvin Mckinstry, NASA, Thomas Behrens and Mark Schara of Heritage Documentation Programs supervised the project. The recording team consisted of Doug Bacon (Auburn University), Paul Davidson (HABS), Jobie Hill (University of Oregon), and Ryan Pierce (HABS). The large-format photographs were produced by HABS Photographer Renee Bieretz.

Assisting the recording team were Joseph King and Sherry White, NASA, who provided access to the buildings and logistical support; Molly Porter and Mike Wright, NASA, who provided documents, photographs, and research assistance; and the staff of the National Archives and Records Administration-Southeast Region (Atlanta), particularly Shane Bell. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, PROJECT ENGINEER OFFICE HABS No. AL-999-C (Page 2) PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History: 1. Date of erection: 2. Architect: Hudgins, Thompson, Ball & Associates, Inc. adapted the original design by Wyatt C. Hedrick under the direction of Marshall Space Flight Center s Facilities and Design Office. The change in firms was probably due to the death of Wyatt C.

Hedrick in The as- built drawings list Hudgins, Thompson, Ball & Associates Inc. as the architects on the landscape, basement, and first floor plans, while Wyatt C. Hedrick is named on the remainder of the floor plans and elevation drawings with notes that Hudgins, Thompson, Ball & Associates adapted them. See Marshall Space Flight Center, Administrative Complex, HABS No. AL-999 for more information. 3. Original and subsequent owners, occupants, uses: NASA s Marshall Space Flight Center has been the sole owner and occupant of the Project Engineer Office since its construction. The building has always been used as an office and for administrative functions, although the departments and individual offices housed within have changed due to reorganizations and programmatic shifts. 4.

Builder, contractor, suppliers: Pearce & Gresham Company of Decatur, Alabama, won the construction contract, which totaled more than million.1 5. Original plans and construction: The plans for the Project Engineer Office called for a six- story rectangular office building with a full basement and a penthouse to be located behind the Central Laboratory and Office Building (Building and across the courtyard from the Engineering and Administration Building (Building The steel-frame structure with curtain wall construction was identical to Building The materials used in the construction included grey and black porcelain enamel panels; grey, opaque grey, and clear glass fixed windows; diamond grey granite with a polished finish ; and pre-cast granite mosaic panels.

The foundation and floors were reinforced concrete while the structural frame was steel. The curtain walls making up the second through sixth floors consisted of alternating bands of grey porcelain enamel and grey glass with aluminum mullions. The first floor columns were clad in polished diamond grey granite, and a strip of black porcelain enamel panels ran along the top of the first floor to separate it from the curtain wall construction of the rest of the building. The east and west facades were slightly different from the north and south facades ones as the central bays were made up of pre-cast granite mosaic panels alternating 1 Caption, Third Building Underway, Marshall Star 4, no.

33 (May 13, 1, gives the contract amount as while 550 Employees to Begin Move, 1, states it was MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, PROJECT ENGINEER OFFICE HABS No. AL-999-C (Page 3) with narrow ribbons of fixed windows. The penthouse on the flat roof was clad in vertical, insulated metal siding.2 The building s layout has been little changed from its original configuration. Visitors entered the first floor via the main entrance on the south fa ade, located three bays from the west end. A lobby, reception area, and separate waiting area to the west were located by the main entrance. At the east end of the first floor was a cafeteria and kitchen. A serving line divided the dining room, which accommodated several hundred people, from the kitchen and food preparation areas.

The kitchen was equipped with ranges, food preparation areas, and a separate dishwashing area and scullery. Food storage was located in the northeast corner of the kitchen, with the manager s office adjacent. A snack bar with short order cooking capabilities as well as beverage dispensers and an ice cream fountain was located just off the lobby and the waiting area. The west half of the first floor was occupied by offices and a conference room. At the center of the first floor was a service core with restrooms, elevators and elevator lobby, and mechanical and telephone rooms. The service core extended from the basement to the sixth floor. Centered on the west and east ends of each floor were stairwells and spaces for the air conditioning ducts.

The second through sixth floors were generally arranged with the service core flanked by offices and conference rooms at the center and ringed by a corridor. Variously-sized offices were ranged along the exterior perimeter to take advantage of the natural light. Conference rooms were located on the first, third, and fifth floors. The penthouse was located on the roof above the elevators since it contained the elevator equipment as well as storage space and a mechanical room. It was accessed by a stairwell on the sixth floor located near the elevator shafts. The basement held the mechanical equipment room at the west end. The rest of the basement was taken up by offices, storage spaces, and the reproduction department, initially equipped with blueprint and Ozalid machines.

The trash room in the northeast corner of the basement had a sidewalk lift to facilitate removal of garbage from the building to the loading dock at ground level.3 2 Wyatt C. Hedrick, Project Engineer Office Building, North Rear Elevation, NASA AE Contract No. NAS8- November 17, Drawing No. F&D-A-4202-A10, adapted by Hudgins, Thompson, Ball & Associates; Hudgins, Thompson, Ball & Associates, Project Engineer Office Building, East End Elevation, March 13, Drawing No. F&D-A-4202-A11; Wyatt C. Hedrick, Project Engineer Office Building, South Front Elevation, November 17, Drawing No. F&D-A-4202-A12, adapted by Hudgins, Thompson, Ball & Associates; Hudgins, Thompson, Ball & Associates, Project Engineer Office Building, West End Elevation, March 13, Drawing No. F&D-A-4202-A13.

3 Hudgins, Thompson, Ball & Associates, Project Engineer Office Building, Basement Plan & Details, March 13, Drawing No. F&D-A-4202-A1, First Floor Plan, Drawing No. F&D-A-4202-A, Enlarged Food Service Plan, Drawing No. F&D-A-4202-A24; Wyatt C. Hedrick, Project Engineer Office Building, Second Floor Plan & Details, November 17, Drawing No. F&D-A-4202-A3, adapted by Hudgins, Thompson, Ball & Associates, Third & Fourth Floor Plans, Drawing No. F&D-A-4202-A4, Fifth & Sixth Floor Plans, Drawing No. F&D-A- 4202-A5, and Penthouse & Roof Plans, Drawing No. F&D-A-4202-A6. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, PROJECT ENGINEER OFFICE HABS No.

AL-999-C (Page 4) Floor Area Summary4 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th Space Basement Floor Floor Floor Floor Floor Floor Penthouse Total Lobbies, 618 Corridors, Special Areas Core, Stairs, 872 915 Duct Space Conference N/A N/A 640 N/A 640 N/A N/A Room Net Office N/A Space Kitchen & N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Service Area Dining Area N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Gross Area Interior finishes consisted of vinyl asphalt tile floors (specified as Armstrong Excelon), except the bathrooms (ceramic tile), food preparation areas (quarry tile), and mechanical rooms (concrete). Stair treads and landings were also clad in vinyl asphalt tile. The offices had movable partition walls facing the corridors as well as dividing the office spaces.

The partition walls were the Contempo-Wall partition system with a Burlwall texture and most were painted sand or chino. Portions of the third and sixth floors, however, are denoted on room schedules as being pea green. The paint colors of the elevator lobby walls ranged from dark coral, blue, and oyster white. Restroom and lounge walls were smooth plaster, while the mechanical room spaces had concrete or concrete block walls. Finishes used in the cafeteria and snack bar included vinyl wall coverings in blue and sand, brushed finish wood (honey tone teak) plastic laminate, and butterscotch-colored plastic laminate. Doors were generally wood with metal frames.

The office and conference room ceilings were suspended, while the bathrooms and elevator cores had smooth plaster ceilings, and the dining area and food preparation area ceilings were acoustical tile.5 6. Alterations and additions: The majority of the alterations to the building have been the result of reconfigurations of office space as programs and offices have been reorganized. Examples of such work include modification of the northwest corner of the fourth floor and the personnel director s suite on the second floor in the early Williams-Russell and Johnson, Inc. completed the work. The northwest corner of the fifth floor was modified in the late as part of NASA AE Contract NAS8-40083 by AJT & Associates, Inc.

Recently, the conference rooms on the first and second floors were upgraded, as were the first floor restrooms. The roof 4 First Floor Plan, Drawing No. FE-A-4201-A2. 5 Wyatt C. Hedrick, Project Engineer Office Building, Room Finish & Color Schedule, November 17, Drawing Nos. F&D-A-4202-A7 and F&D-A-4202-A8, adapted by Hudgins, Thompson, Ball & Associates; Hudgins, Thompson, Ball & Associates, Project Engineer Office Building, Cafeteria Elevations & Details, March 13, Drawing No. F&D-A-4202-A25. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, PROJECT ENGINEER OFFICE HABS No. AL-999-C (Page 5) was also replaced. The renovations were completed under NASA AE Contract No.

NNM04AB09C by SEI Group Inc.6 In addition, the mechanical, electrical, and alarm systems have been upgraded as necessary, along with federally-mandated alterations like improved accessibility to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards. For example, a handicap-accessible restroom was installed on the fourth floor in the late The elevators have been rehabilitated, which first required the removal of asbestos from the elevator shafts and equipment rooms in the mid-1990s. 8 The Automatic Retailers of America (ARA) proposed closing several snack bars and cafeterias and converting some cafeterias into snack bars in including the one in Building because they were losing money.9 In the cafeteria was finally converted into the Environmental Applications Office under Contract No.

NAS8-21769 by Management Services Inc. of Tennessee.10 During the energy crisis, Marshall Space Flight Center became the technical consultant to other centers in the program in converting various operations from conventional fuels to solar energy. By converting some systems to operate off solar energy, it was hoped that utility bills could be reduced. The project was part of a joint NASA-Energy Research and Development Administration agreement for converting a number of facilities at all NASA centers from conventional fuel systems to solar energy. 11 Center engineers designed five solar energy projects, including one to supply hot water to the restrooms at Building By February flat solar plate collectors had been installed on the building s roof.

The cost savings realized by the installation of the panels, along with those on buildings and was estimated at a year.12 6 Mercury, Building Mods to Fourth Floor, March 31, Drawing No. FAC-S-4202-A1; Williams- Russell and Johnson, Inc., Building Mods to Personnel Directors Suite, October 15, Drawing Nos. FAC-Y-4202-A1 through A2; AJT & Associates, Inc., Building Modify Fifth Floor October 10, Drawing Nos. FAC-BD-4202-A1 through A3; SEI Group, Inc., Building Upgrade Conference Room March 29, Drawing Nos. FAC-CJ-4202-A1 through A3; SEI Group, Inc., Building Upgrade Men s and Women s Restrooms-1st Floor, August 28, Drawing Nos. FAC-CK-4202-A1 through A3; SEI Group, Inc., Building Replace Roof, January 22, Drawing Nos.

FAC-CL-4202-A1 through A3; SEI Group, Inc., Building Upgrade Conference Room February 19, Drawing Nos. FAC-CM-4202-A1 through A3. 7 AJT & Associates, Inc., Building Install Handicap Restroom-Fourth Floor, April 17, Drawing Nos. FAC-B-4202-A1 through A2. 8 Elevators in Buildings and Marshall Star 36, no. 4 (September 27, 6; Rehab of Elevators in Buildings and Marshall Star 36, no. 9 (November 1, 6; WYLE Laboratories, Rehabilitate Elevators, November 22, Drawing Nos. FAC-AM-4202-A1 through A3 9 Notes, February 24, Newby, in Weekly Notes, Marshall Space Flight Center. 10 Management Services, Inc., Building Alterations to Cafeteria Area for Environmental Applications Office, January 24, Drawing No. FAC-E-4202-A1 through A2.

11 Christine Duncan, Solar Energy to Help Heat Buildings Here, Marshall Star 18, no. 4 (September 28, 1. 12 The other solar energy projects included heating for buildings and and heating liquid nitrogen to a gas for use in experiments and manufacturing in Building and another building at Michoud. NASA Centers to Use Solar Energy in Some Operations, Marshall Star 17, no. 21 (February 2, 1, 4; Caption, Solar Energy Conversion, Marshall Star 18, no. 6 (October 12, 1; Caption, Panels in Place, Marshall Star 18, no. 21 MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, PROJECT ENGINEER OFFICE HABS No. AL-999-C (Page 6) In the building sustained damage as the result of a tornado and required repairs.

Windows were blown out, ceilings were damaged, and several outside metal panels were buckled on the east end of the building. 13 B. Historical Context: In April the contract for construction of the third building was put out to bid. Pearce & Gresham won the contract (Contract NAS8-12015) in May and by October of that year the steel structural frame had been erected. The projected move-in date had initially been October but a lack of the necessary materials to build the partition walls for the offices of the Director of Advanced Systems, Systems Analysis & Program Planning, Vehicle & Mission Analysis, and Advanced Studies delayed the move until mid-November.

Other offices housed in the building included the Missions Operations Office.14 Space allocation was a major concern since the building s completion coincided with a build-up in the center s staff and operations and with the re-organization of the center into two branches: project offices and laboratories. The Advanced Systems Office requested space for 216 staff, specifically one-half of the sixth floor and all of the available offices on the third and fifth floors, but were assigned square feet, which was less than needed. Meanwhile the director of the Inspectors Office found the space assigned for their department (rooms and to be admirably suited for our needs and only required additional sound insulation.

The newly- established Technical Systems Office, responsible for coordinating the work on launch vehicles, occupied the other half of the sixth floor.15 Even with the completion of Building there were still problems with the amount of space available to house the rapidly growing space program. The Advanced Systems Office, which had received less space than initially requested, complained about the intolerable situation of having to add more personnel to their already crowded space. The director of the office complained, I am continuing to be plagued with requests from the Safety Office s fire hazard office to get equipment out of the halls , and we have NO PLACE to move it; in fact, we are starting to move even more into the halls just to make room for the new people.

Before too long, we will be forced to put our engineers into the halls. 16 The Industrial Operations Office (February 8, 4; Center Very Close to 50 Percent Reduction Goal in Use of Energy, Marshall Star 20, no. 32 (April 23, 2. 13 Marshall Center Escapes Full Force of Tornadoes, Marshall Star 14, no. 30 (April 10, 1. 14 Bids Asked on 3rd Building, Marshall Star 4, no. 28 (April 8, 4. See also Notes, August 23, Speer; Notes, October 18, Williams; and Notes, October 25, Williams, all in Weekly Notes, Marshall Space Flight Center, available from History Office, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama. 15 Memo from Roy E. Wood to Mr.

Gorman, Subject: Office Space, July 8, in Folder 1d, Facilities, Engineering & Administration Building, and Memo from Williams, Director, Advanced Systems Office to Mr. Huth, Subject: Office Space for Advanced Systems Office in Building August 19, Memo from James A. Corbett, Subject: Physical Space, Advanced Systems Office; and draft press release, all in Folder 1d, Facilities-Central Lab & Engineering Building Both folders are in Office of Director, Director s Files Box 29, Record Group National Archives and Records Administration-Southeast Region (Atlanta) (hereafter cited as RG NARA-SE). 16 Williams, Director, Advanced Systems Office to Mr.

Chauncey Huth, Subject: Office Space for the Advanced Systems Office, April 8, in Folder 1d, Facilities Physical Space in Office of Director, Director s Files Box 28, RG NARA-SE. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, PROJECT ENGINEER OFFICE HABS No. AL-999-C (Page 7) requested additional space in the form of use of the entire fourth floor of the building as a result of the buildup of the Apollo Applications Program.17 The Technical Systems Office also wanted more space, noting that their program requirements had changed since the building s construction, and that they were now providing overall systems engineering functions for Saturn V, improving our capability to provide overall systems engineering service to the Saturn 1B, and need to improve our capability to provide this service to the AAP.

In addition, they were providing overall systems engineering for the Voyager Program. 18 By the however, with reductions in the center s programs, the building s use had stabilized with 328 personnel working in the building.19 PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement: 1. Architectural character: Building is a good example of mid-twentieth-century curtain- wall construction. Using alternating bands of porcelain enamel and glass with aluminum mullions, the building reflected NASA s role at the forefront of modern technology and space exploration. The building s exterior cladding remains intact, and although the partition walls in offices have been moved and other modifications have been made, the general floor plans and interior finishes have been retained. 2.

Condition of fabric: Good B. Description of Exterior: 1. Overall dimensions: The building measures long x wide and stands tall (including the penthouse). 2. Foundations: The foundation walls and piers are concrete and steel. 3. Walls: The curtain walls consist of grey porcelain enamel panels and grey fixed glass with aluminum mullions. Pre-cast granite mosaic block panels are centered on the east and west facades. The penthouse is clad in metal siding. 4. Structural system, framing: The structural system is a steel frame. 17 Memo from Edmund F. O Connor, Director, Industrial Operations, to Deputy Director, Administrative, Subject: AAP physical space requirements, June 27, in Folder 1d, Facilities Physical Space in Office of Director, Director s Files Box 28, RG NARA-SE. 18 Memo from R. W.

Cook, Assistant Director, R&D Operations to Mr. Gorman, Subject: Additional space requirements, Technical Systems Office, June 13, in Folder 1d, Facilities Physical Space in Office of Director, Director s Files Box 28, NARA-SE. 19 National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Space Utilization Program Summary by Building and Organization, Building June 1, available from Planning & Facilities Utilization Office, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama (hereafter cited as Facilities Office, MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, PROJECT ENGINEER OFFICE HABS No. AL-999-C (Page 8) 5. Loading dock: A loading dock is at the northeast corner of the building, accessed by a driveway. 6. Openings: a.

Doorways and doors: The building s main entrance is on the south (front) fa ade and is comprised of sliding glass doors covered by a canopy. A sliding glass door is also located on the east fa ade by the loading dock, while another glass door opens at the west end of the building. b. Windows and shutters: All windows are fixed with panes of grey or clear glass. The granite block panels on the west and east ends of the building are pierced by fixed ribbon windows at each floor to provide illumination to the stairwells contained inside. 8. Roof: The flat concrete and steel roof is covered with a membrane surface. C. Description of Interior: 1. Floor plans: The general floor plan has been little changed from the initial configuration, although partition walls have been moved as needed.

A central service core on each floor contains elevator shafts, restrooms, and telephone/mechanical spaces. The core is flanked by offices and conference rooms. Offices ring the perimeter to take advantage of the natural light from the windows. A corridor separates the offices from the central service core. The penthouse contains the elevator and mechanical equipment. 2. Stairways: Stairwells are centered on the east and west ends of the building. A stairwell on the sixth floor, east of the restrooms, provides access to the penthouse. 3. Flooring: Most of the building s reinforced concrete floors are covered in vinyl asphalt tile, although some offices have carpet and the restrooms have ceramic tiles. 4.

Wall and ceiling finish: Original finishes are still extant, including the vinyl wall coverings of the partitions. Ceilings are generally suspended, with acoustical tiles and fluorescent light. 5. Openings: a. Doorways and doors: The doors are generally wood in metal door frames. b. Windows: The building s windows are all fixed. 6. Mechanical equipment: a. Heating, air conditioning, ventilation: Building originally connected to a cooling tower located in the nearby cooling tower screen (see HABS No. AL-999-F). The air conditioning system was later modified and upgraded. The building is heated by the center s steam plant, connected by above ground pipes. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, PROJECT ENGINEER OFFICE HABS No. AL-999-C (Page 9) b.

Lighting: Fluorescent lighting is apparent throughout the building, including luminescent grids, which were inset fluorescent lights with a grid covering over them. c. Plumbing: The plumbing systems for the restrooms and water fountains are contained in the central core. D. Site: 1. Historic landscape design: The landscape design by Hudgins, Thompson, Ball & Associates for the grounds around Building reflect the trends towards orthogonal design, extensive use of hardscaping, and minimal plantings that characterizes modern landscape design. Concrete walkways provided access to the other buildings in the administrative complex. The as-built landscape plan shows large trees planted primarily at the east and west ends of the building.

North of the building were two groupings of scarlet oaks (Quercus coccinea). Planting beds flanked the front entrance and contained angular and flat rocks ranging in size from 50 to 500 pounds. The specifications called for the use of local rocks from areas approximately 100 southwest of Building In between the rocks were various ferns, including Lady (Athyrium filix-femina), Marginal woodfern (Dryopteris marginalis), and Christmas (Polystichum acrostichoides). L-shaped planters also at the front entrance held lily turf (Ophiopogon japonicus). East of the building were scarlet oaks while red flowering dogwood (Cornus florida Rubra ) and scarlet oaks were planted on the west end.

Shrubs lined sections of the concrete sidewalks, including glossy privet (Ligustrum lucidum), Japanese flowering quince (Chaenomeles laganaria), and pink abelia (Abelia Edward Goucher Many elements of this original landscape scheme have been removed or were perhaps never installed. The north fa ade of the building now features a line of cherry trees, for example. The front entrance plantings have also been removed, probably with the installation of the new canopy. Additional trees have been planted in the courtyard between buildings and 2. Outbuildings: A cooling tower screen that held the cooling tower once servicing Building is located northwest of the building. See HABS No. AL-999-F for additional information. PART III. SOURCES OF INFORMATION A.

Architectural drawings: Engineering Design Services, Marshall Space Flight Center holds all of the as-built drawings, as well as drawings related to every modification, alteration, and addition to the building. Individual drawings used in this report are referenced in the footnotes. 20 Hudgins, Thompson, Ball & Associates, Inc., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Huntsville, Alabama, Project Engineer Office Building, Landscape Plan, March 13, Drawing No. F&D-A-4202-C5. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, PROJECT ENGINEER OFFICE HABS No. AL-999-C (Page 10) B. Section

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS AL-999-C. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

550 Employees to Begin Move into New Building. Marshall Star 5, no. 38 (June 23, 5. Bids Asked on 3rd Building. Marshall Star 4, no. 28 (April 8, 4. Caption, Third Building Underway. Marshall Star 4, no. 33 (May 13, 1. Caption, Solar Energy Conversion. Marshall Star 18, no. 6 (October 12, 1. Caption, Panels in Place. Marshall Star 18, no. 21 (February 8, 4. Center Very Close to 50 Percent Reduction Goal in Use of Energy. Marshall Star 20, no. 32 (April 23, 2. Duncan, Christine. Solar Energy to Help Heat Buildings Here. Marshall Star 18, no. 4 (September 28, 1. Marshall Center Escapes Full Force of Tornadoes. Marshall Star 14, no. 30 (April 10, 1. NASA Centers to Use Solar Energy in Some Operations. Marshall Star 17, no. 21 (February 2, 1, 4.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Space Utilization Program Summary by Building and Organization. Building June 1, Available from Facilities Office, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama. Real Property Record. April 3, Various folders, Office of Director, Director s Files Boxes 28 & 29, Record Group In National Archives and Records Administration-Southeast Region (Atlanta). Weekly Notes, Marshall Space Flight Center, various dates. Available from History Office, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama.