DBIA awarded the Air Force Technical Application Center Design-Build Phase I in Patrick Air Force Base, Florida with the National Award of Merit in the Civic Buildings category. The project achieved the owner’s vision for a world class headquarters facility that exemplifies design excellence while meeting the incredibly high quality and security standards. The 276,000-square-foot, four-story headquarters facility includes office space, conference rooms, auditorium and 40,000-square-foot radiological laboratory that monitors nuclear compliance around the globe. The facility came with a strict security protocol and unique design and construction challenges, such as creating the first Radiological Lab in the world constructed with drywall and achieving containment requirements similar to a BSL-3 Laboratory at a fraction of the cost. Located between the ocean and the intercostal waterway, the facility had to be strong enough to handle Category 4 hurricane winds while meeting ATFP requirements.