Developer Breaks Ground on $23M Wounded Warrior Barracks at Camp Pendleton

By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorSan Diego– Barnhart Inc. and Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest have broken ground on a unique $23-million Bachelor Enlisted Quarters for marines and sailors in the Wounded Warrior Battalion West stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. With 100 semi-private suites modified to accommodate service members recovering from various injuries, the 66,000-sq.ft. Wounded Warrior barracks features lounges, kitchen facilities, interactive gaming areas, computer alcoves and an expansive outdoor deck with views of Lake O’Neill and the surrounding hillside. The two-story structure will be built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standards, with energy and water savings exceeding federal requirements. The entire project complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Cass, Sowatsky, Chapman & Associates Architects is providing design and engineering services.  Surrounded by low-maintenance landscaping, outside activity areas include full-size basketball and volleyball courts plus picnic areas with barbecues, benches and native trees. Construction will begin next month with a completion date of March 2010.This is the seventh military project in California for Barnhart Inc. since 2007. The firm is currently working on a Weapons and Armaments Technology Center at China Lake, upgrades to Berth Lima at Coronado and modernization of Bachelor Enlisted Quarters at 29 Palms.