The renovation of the Oregon Military Department’s armory in Milton-Freewater provides a facility that is energy efficient and better serves the surrounding community. The armory is a historic K-style building, the first one built in Oregon and one of only a handful left in the United States. The armory is the home of the Oregon National Guard’s Detachment 1 1186 Military Police unit and provides space for drill weekends with an assembly hall, a weapons storage vault, gear storage, a classroom, a fitness facility, lockers, and a kitchen. Offices for the commander, sergeant, recruiter and administrative personnel are in continuous use. Additionally, the armory is used by the local community to host community events.
SERA’s primary goal with the renovation was to bring the facility up to current energy code. This was accomplished by insulating the existing concrete building, replacing the existing windows with new double-paned windows, and installing a new mechanical system. Our secondary goal was to bring a new vitality to the armory. SERA’s design solution includes reconfiguring the site to better delineate the public and secure spaces, creating a new entry to the armory, and making all public spaces and amenities more inviting. Both of these moves help the armory to be more welcoming to the community. The project used design-build delivery to achieve a streamlined process, with the contractor and design team fully integrated from the beginning of the project.
