NPS Assateague Island Ranger Station
Assateague Island National Seashore, MD
The Challenge
This permanent new building is a 3,194 sq. ft. modular rancher design with an A-Frame roof and an attached porch. The building layout includes seven offices, break room, restrooms, work areas, closets, and a visitor’s lobby area. This modular building had to architecturally blend in with the natural seashore and wildlife on a pristine barrier island. Aesthetic challenges were accomplished by utilizing asphalt shingles on the A-frame roof and a horizontal vinyl siding with many architectural vinyl accents.
Additionally, the building was set above grade on a wood pile foundation and a pad mounted HVAC split-system was utilized. The front covered porch and glass vestibule make this building very inviting to the public while adding great character and depth to the building. It was designed and installed to look like one seamless part of the modular building.
The Solution
Every module unique in size; yet, once complete the modules were built together and installed seamlessly under one roof. The design includes a “two-tier” A-Frame roof, with the lower roof as one complete roof section over the front porch and modular visitor’s lobby.
Located on a barrier island between the bay and ocean, hurricanes and storm surges were a major concern. The building was built to meet the required wind speed of 120 MPH at an Exposure Category D. Additionally, the building was installed three feet above grade on treated wood piles which is above the storm surge line. We choose to build the modules as “true modules” on wood frames and lagged the module frames to the piles at site. This required special engineering and installations for the lagging to ensure the building could handle the required wind loads.
