Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake is a key asset in the Department of Defense Testing and Evaluation infrastructure and, with 1.1 million acres, its largest land holding. The installation’s main tenant is the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, which conducts a range of sensitive and high-hazard research, development, acquisition, test and evaluation activities at the installation. The workforce includes 4,500 civilian scientists, engineers and technical personnel.
Challenge
To meet the emerging operational needs of the Pacific Fleet while minimizing additional infrastructure and facilities, the U.S. Navy’s Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest recognized the need for efficient planning. Master plans would need to align NAWS China Lake with current and future operational requirements, provide quality services to sailors and their families, identify strategies to leverage limited Navy funds, and help the installation to pursue energy independence.
Solution
WSP developed three master plans that provide a flexible structure to inform planning and development decisions over the next 20 years. Each plan identifies types and locations for development, taking into consideration mission realignment, encroachment, reduction of defense budget, and the call for sustainable development.
The three master plan areas are: South Range, a half-million acre range poised to accommodate new missions; the Armitage Airfield; and the central laboratory and base support “town center” district, Mainsite. The work includes:
- Development of both short and long range capital investment plans for each area.
- Development of design standards that address the Navy’s policies on sustainable building, low impact development and energy independence.
- Development of “form-based” guidelines that address how buildings will relate to one another through harmonious scale, massing and materials.
