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Renovation of Smith Barracks, Baumholder

Facts and Figures
Company BBGS GmbH
Principal US Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District
Location Baumholder - Germany
Type Building service
Runtime 10.2020 - 07.2023

Conversion into modern, barrier-free office buildings.

In October 2020, the BBGS GmbH team began to renovate three buildings in the secure area of Smith Barracks in Baumholder.

The Rhineland-Palatinate garrison town is home to one of the largest US military installations outside of the United States. Approximately 8,000 soldiers and 5,500 family members live in the US garrison nicknamed “The Rock”. There are also around 900 civilian employees. A few years ago, the US government announced that it would invest a nine-figure sum in the modernisation and renovation of the base.

Security is the top priority – for people and buildings

Two of these many subprojects involve the renovation of former four-story troop accommodation buildings, each with around 2,300m2 gross floor area for US Army special operations forces. BBGS almost entirely gutted the old buildings and implemented new floor plans within the structural constraints of the building. BBGS is constructing open space offices, conference rooms, kitchenettes and sanitary areas - including some accessible facilities - as well as equipment stores and technical rooms. We are adding steel emergency stairs and accessible elevators at each gable end. We have replaced windows, skylights and external doors with AT/FP(Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection) components.

BBGS is also installing entirely new building technology, including an access control system, intruder alarm systems and video surveillance, as well as fire alarm, mass notification and sprinkler systems.

The third renovation project also involves an existing administrative building, with approximately 2,050m2 gross floor area, that must be adapted to the special unit’s high security requirements. We are installing AT/FP-compliant windows and external doors and other components for this project.

Absolute reliability is an essential part of collaboration

As a fundamental rule, the plans had to adhere to the most stringent requirements of applicable German and American laws and regulations. Project managers therefore not only had to deal with the existing buildings’ load-bearing structures and challenges, they also needed to ensure that regulations were properly implemented. The fact that the plans were produced in compliance with the contract and on schedule before construction began can be attributed to the many years of experience BBGS has working on US Government projects.