NOAA Breaks Ground for New Satellite Center

摘要

In April developers removed the first shovelfuls of soil from a lot in Suitland, Maryland, that will soon house the $61-million satellite operations center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). While most of the building's occupants will be directing their attention to the sky above, the greater part of the 208,000 sq ft (19,300 m~2) building itself will be located beneath the surface of the earth. The portion of the structure to be built underground―a 300 by 420 ft (91 by 128 m) two-story rectangle referred to as the mat by its architects―will be covered with a domed ceiling and one of the largest grass roofs in the United States, encompassing 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m~2). It will rest on a 28 in. (711 mm) thick concrete foundation and will be made of reinforced concrete.