Fort Gordon Signal School, Brant Hall, 608 Chamberlain Avenue U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence, Fort Gordon

Source document Quoted word for word from HALS GA-6-A. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The United States (U.S.) Army Southeastern Signal School is located on the grounds of Fort Gordon in Richmond County, Georgia. The campus is bounded by Chamberlain Avenue to the south and 8th Avenue to the east, north and west. Brant Hall is located at 608 Chamberlain Avenue, U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence. Universal Transverse Mercator Coordinates: 17S 393193E (Center of Brant Hall, obtained December via Google Earth. No restrictions on public release.)

Source document Quoted word for word from HALS GA-6-A. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Brant Hall is one of 13 buildings within a designed landscape that comprises the Fort Gordon Signal School campus (HALS GA-6). The property is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places for associations with military defense communications, and design values associated with New Formalism The Army s adoption of this style projected a modernist image that matched its investment in emerging communications technology that defined the Cold War. It is also significant for its associations with military education as the sole institution dedicated to advanced instruction in electronic communications. Description: Brant Hall is named in honor of Southeastern Signal School graduate, First Lieutenant Dave William Brant United States Army, who was killed in combat in Vietnam.

The building served as a classroom/laboratory building for the Southeastern Signal School Campus (HALS GA-6) and is located on the western side of the campus (Figure 1).

Designed in a Mid-Twentieth-Century-Modern design variant known as New Formalism, the classroom building has the following character-defining features: - Monumental scale - Appears to float on the landscape or to be set on a podium - Rectangular massing - Flat roof - Brick veneer forming large expanses of smooth surfaces - Exposed structural system of distinctive waffle slab concrete - Delicacy of details such as brushed aluminum architectural lettering for signage, overhanging eaves with perforations in the waffle slab for light/shadow effects on the brick veneer Brant Hall consists of three, two-story 316 -8 x 61 -8 inch classroom buildings arranged in a triangle, all connected by a large two-story atrium (Figure 2). Each FORT GORDON SIGNAL SCHOOL,

Brant Hall Hals

No. GA-6-A (Page 2) classroom building has a central corridor running the length of the wing with classrooms on each side. First and second floors are identical. Stairwells and bathrooms are located at each end. Flooring surfaces are simple and unrefined throughout. Floors covered with square composite, marbled tiles measuring 12 x 12 are common throughout all buildings, as is polished concrete. Some surfaces have been covered over with indoor/outdoor carpet. Corridors and major spaces feature exposed concrete waffle slab painted beige. Interior walls are generally painted concrete masonry units. Original hardware is brush aluminum. Doorknobs are round with brushed aluminum back plates.

Large, brushed aluminum lettering of the name of each the structure in a sans serif font is prominently located at each entry. Aluminum display cases are located at most entries. The waffle-slab cornice is perforated to cast decorative light and shadow patterns on the facades. Located in the center of the hexagonal atrium and between the wings is a two- story, six-sided mechanical room of concrete masonry units. This is used as a laboratory and instructional classroom for larger communications equipment. The building has been well maintained and exhibits no evidence of structural failure. Most all original fabric, materials, and components are intact, with wear and tear that would be expected on a structure over fifty years of age.

However, HVAC and plumbing systems have reached the end of their operational lifespan, resulting in high maintenance costs. Hazardous materials such as friable asbestos are present as are mold and mildew issues. Paint failure is evident on the concrete waffle slabs. Exterior original lighting fixtures are in generally poor condition, with some lamp posts missing parts. Security issues have required the filling in of glazing of many of the window systems with solid panels. History: Refer to HALS No. GA-6 for historical context of the Fort Gordon Signal School campus.

Source document Quoted word for word from HALS GA-6-A. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Drawings: Drawings are in the public domain, on file at the Directorate of Public Works, Fort Gordon, Georgia. Secondary and Published: Adams, Sunny E. and Adam D. Smith. Character-Defining Features of Contributing Buildings and Structures in the Fort Gordon, Georgia, Signal FORT GORDON SIGNAL SCHOOL,

Brant Hall Hals

No. GA-6-A (Page 3) School Campus Historic District. ERDC/CERL Champaign, IL: Engineer Research and Development Center Construction Engineering Laboratory. Smith, Adam D., and Sunny E. Stone. 2005a. Fort Gordon Architectural Survey ERDC/CERL 1. Champaign, IL: Engineer Research and Development Center- Construction Engineering Research Laboratory. Fort Gordon Cold War Architectural Survey Volume 1: Historic Context and Survey Results. ERDC/CERL Vol. I. Champaign, IL: Engineer Research and Development Center-Construction Engineering Research Laboratory. Fort Gordon Cold War Architectural Survey Volume 2: Signal School Survey Forms. ERDC/CERL Vol. II. Champaign, IL: Engineer Research and Development Center--Construction Engineering Research Laboratory.

Source document Quoted word for word from HALS GA-6-A. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Compiled from work by Adam Smith and Sonny Stone, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with editing and additional writing by Joseph S. Murphey, Historical Architect, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District. Completed in February FORT GORDON SIGNAL SCHOOL,

Brant Hall Hals

No. GA-6-A (Page 4) Supplemental Material: ^ NORTH Figure 1. Undated Site Plan of the Southeastern Signal School. (Fort Gordon Figure 2. Brant Hall. Brant Hall is a unique variation of other Signal School campus buildings and was the last structure to be built. It utilized three classroom wings almost identical to Burkhardt, Fisher, Johnston, Hazen, Nelson and Stansell Halls arranged in a triangle, all connected by a two-story central space where training on field equipment can be brought indoors. Fort Gordon