U.S. Penitentiary and Federal Prison Camp
Federal Bureau of Prisons, Tucson, AZ
The U.S. Penitentiary and Federal Prison Camp (USP/FPC) in Tucson, Arizona is a $112 million, fast-track design-build project. The U.S. Penitentiary (USP) is a high security institution with living and support facilities for 960 inmates with a gross building area of 59,000 square meters. The Federal Prison Camp (FPC) is a minimum-security institution with living and support facilities for 128 inmates with a gross building area of 3,000-square-meters. Most of the facilities are constructed of precast or tilt-up concrete. Sophisticated secure electronic systems are used.
More than 25 structures will be built for the U.S. Penitentiary, including six interconnected general inmate housing units and one special housing unit. The Federal Prison Camp includes one housing unit and a support building. Providing support for both facilities will be a central utility plant, an inmate systems management building, an administration building, and other assorted buildings. The design-build scope of work includes all architectural, engineering, construction, and other related services necessary to provide a new federal correctional facility. HSMM is teamed with a local architectural firm, Arrington Watkins (AW), under contract to the construction contractor, Dick Pacific. HSMM is providing project management services; co-architectural and civil lead design services; complete structural, mechanical and electrical design services; and construction administration. Due to its experience in security, knowledge of constructibility and skill in construction sequencing, AW will design the project’s housing units. HSMM will design those buildings that require more intensive engineering and architectural coordination, and will lead engineering efforts for the USP core and the FPC. AW will use its pre-engineered building expertise to design the shared warehouse and the garage/landscape building.
The total project is expected to take 945 calendar days. Construction began in early 2003, following approximately six months of design work. Completion is expected at the end of 2004. Construction began with the central utility plant, followed by the housing structures.
The design and construction must meet the desert region’s special requirements, incorporate systems designed to reduce energy consumption and provide lower operating costs, employ green building materials and systems, while responding to the unique architectural design characteristics of the area. Construction materials being used will provide a low life cycle cost; be durable and low maintenance; use “green” building materials wherever possible; and provide cost-effective performance through design and construction collaboration.
