Marshall Space Flight Center, Building 4203, Rideout Road, Huntsville

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

Building is a component of the Marshall Space Flight Center s Administrative Complex, which houses the center s administrative functions. Description: Building is square in plan with 180'-long walls and stands six stories tall. Echoing the architectural character of the administrative complex, the fa ades consist of alternating horizontal rows of fixed glass windows and grey panels. The building has a flat roof with the penthouse centered on top. The main entrances are located on the northwest and southwest facades. Delivery areas and loading docks are located at both the north and south corners of the building.

The building s floor plan consists of a central service core containing the elevator lobby, elevators (four passenger and one service), men s and women s restrooms, and electrical equipment and communications rooms. A cafeteria with a kitchen, food storage spaces, and a dining room takes up the east half of the first floor. Originally, the Hall of History and the notion shop (now the NASA Exchange) were also on the first floor, but the exhibit space moved to Building in the early The majority of floors two through six consist of cubicles with enclosed offices at various locations along the perimeter. In addition, enclosed offices designated for use by managers and their administrative staffs are concentrated on the east corner of each floor.

Conference rooms are generally located next to the service core. Stairwells are located at the north and south corners of the floors. Finally, the basement contains offices and work areas, as well as various equipment rooms. There are semi-circular drives on either side of the building and to the west, as well as parking lots. The buildings comprising the administrative complex and face a courtyard that was replanted and re-landscaped with the completion of this building in the early Walkways connect the four buildings; those on the perimeter are covered by gable- roofed metal canopies.

The two walkways running along the central axes of the courtyard are not covered and are lined with Bradford pears (Pyrus calleryana), while Carolina cherry laurels (Prunus caroliniana) were planted on the outside perimeter of the courtyard.1 History: Marshall Space Flight Center s fiscal year budget included a request for million for construction work, including the erection of an office building containing more than square feet to the east of the administrative complex. Rather than hiring an 1 Construct Project Engineering Facility Basement Plan, June 14, Drawing No. FAC-4203-A-A9, First Floor Plan, Drawing No. FAC-4203-A-A10, 2nd Floor Plan, Drawing No. FAC-4203-A-A11, 3rd Floor Plan, Drawing No. FAC-4203-A-A12, 4th Floor Plan, Drawing No. FAC-4203-A-A13, 5th Floor Plan, Drawing No.

FAC-4203-A14, 6th Floor Plan, Drawing No. FAC-4203-A-A15, and Planting Plan, Drawing No. FAC- 4203-A-L1; Patience, Caution Urged as Work Continues, Marshall Star 31, no. 22 (February 12, 2. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, BUILDING HABS No. AL-999-D (Page 2) architect to design the building, as had been done with the other three buildings in the complex, the center instead used the design-build concept with Korte Construction Company selected as the contractor. Estimated at million, the contract encompassed not only construction of the building but also relocating existing parking lots and landscaping the courtyard to the west.

The groundbreaking for this long-sought-after fourth structure took place in May The center administration hoped that the new building would alleviate overcrowding and be an upgrade in the working environment for many people. 2 Employees began moving into the building in September Programs with offices in the building included: Payload Projects Office on the second and third floors, Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle Definition Office on the second floor, Systems Analysis and Integration Laboratory on the fourth floor, Space Station Projects Office on the fifth floor, and the Safety and Mission Assurance Office on the sixth floor.3

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS AL-999-D. 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. 2 St. Louis Firm to Construct Building Marshall Star 30, no. 44 (July 11, 2; NASA Seeking Billion for FY Marshall Star 30, no.

21 (January 31, 1; Marshall Breaks Ground on New Project Facility, Marshall Star 31, no. 35 (May 15, 1. Quotes from Building Spring Groundbreaking Planned for New Office Complex, Marshall Star 31, no. 19 (January 23, 2. 3 Building Open for Business, Marshall Star 34, no. 7 (October 14, 1.