SCHOEFIELD BARRACKS SHOPPING CENTER

The buildings at Schofield Barracks in Oahu, HI date back to World War II and have a strong historical context. Steve Hindley, president and partner-in-charge for ALSC Architects of Spokane, WA said the character of those buildings was top of mind as his firm developed the design of a new base PX/shopping center.

“The older buildings use graceful arched forms in windows and entrances, and it was important that we capture this historical quality and regional character. The curve was a tool we used to accomplish that goal and was incorporated in the window openings, in major portals for entry, and in the curved roof form for the canopy.”

The curved canopied walkway structure connects remote parking areas to three main entries. “We considered a translucent canopy but abandoned the idea because of concerns about durability and cost,” says Hindley. “We quickly realized we wanted a roof form that would offer a finished surface from below and structural span capabilities to reduce secondary framing.

“Crimp-curved metal B-deck was durable, economical, and gave us the look we wanted,” he notes. “Also, the structural characteristics of the panels gave us a clean and simple design: A single span of curved panels could be attached directly to primary framing with no need for a substrate. Standing seam panels were applied over the curved deck to provide a color accent to the project.”

The decking chosen for the project was manufactured by ASC Steel Deck of Sacramento, CA, and then crimp-curved to specification by Curveline Inc. Crimp-curving is a process that adds strength and rigidity to the panels while creating the desired radii. Once the panels were curved as required they were installed by Sure Steel Inc. of Sandy, UT. The structure was completed with the addition of the roll-curved standing seam roof panels over the top. Handling that aspect of the project was Standard Sheetmetal, Honolulu, HI.

Coffman Engineers of Spokane, WA, was the project’s structural engineer while Bodell Construction of Salt Lake City, UT, served as the general contractor.
The shopping center was developed by the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), Dallas, TX, but is the property of Schoefield Barracks. The arrangement is not unique. AAFES facilities are present on virtually every Army and Air Force base in the world and in every case are the sole property of the host base.