NAVFAC Southwest Bachelor Enlisted Quarters (BEQ) - Package 9 Parking Structure

Designed by PGAL, this new generation of Bachelor Enlisted Quarters for the Marine Corps became a model for aesthetic appeal, comfort, efficiency, amenities, sustainability, and budget sensitivity. The design also fulfilled the Marine Corps’ mandate to provide a less institutional environment for young recruits.

The project introduced a number of facility improvements, including a 10 percent increase in room size, material and finish upgrades, and energy efficiencies. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest named the new design protocol “Best of Breed” and incorporated the improvements into subsequent RFPs.

The design includes three, four-story, 292,300-square-foot buildings with 576 two-person rooms.

A 706-space garage features a 26-foot-tall, cast-in-place landmark tower that includes a projection screen for entertainment, training, and ceremonies. One side of the tower faces a covered, 500-seat amphitheater with integrally colored concrete seat walls.

PGAL’s site design introduced non-institutional aesthetics while maintaining Marine-style durability. The complex and building configuration have the profile of a contemporary college campus with extensive indoor/outdoor, active/passive recreational amenities. Corridors have inset doors and smooth plaster wall finishes above honed, sealed CMU and chair rails. The complex features patterned/polished, integrally colored, and stained concrete floors.

Instead of freestanding activity centers, the design integrates two-story “great rooms” into each building. Amenities include a theater, gaming area, Internet café/kitchen, and game/video room. The buildings also offer study carrels and laundry, with open stairs leading to a second floor loft. Floors two through four include intimate “living rooms” in central core areas with TVs and lounge seating.

Completed within budget, this fast-track project is LEED Gold-certified with Net Zero Energy enhancements that will allow the BEQs to generate 100 percent of the electrical energy necessary to run and maintain the project on site.