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SIKU, Kautaq Construction win contract to build new U.S. Fish & Wildlife Visitors Center in Soldotna

SIKU, Kautaq construction win Contract to build new

US Fish & Wildlife Visitors Center in Soldotna

Anchorage, Alaska (December 3, 2012) – The US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and UIC Construction Services (UICCS) today announce that one of its subsidiaries, SIKU Construction, won a $6.1 million contract for design and construction of a new visitor center for the Kenai Wildlife Refuge in Soldotna. The new facility will be located next to the current facility and is to be complete by 2014.

SIKU teamed with CTA architects, who are leaders in visitor center design, and sister company, Kautaq Construction Services, for construction management. Joining the team as well is Umiaq, which is doing the civil design to create the unique building and visitor experience.

The new visitor center will be located within the nearly 2 million-acre Kenai National Wildlife Refuge site and is the most visited refuge in Alaska. The center will include an exhibit hall, multi-purpose rooms, book store, restrooms, and office spaces.

During the conceptual design phase, Mary Beth Coyne, Project Manager and Sustainability Coordinator for USFWS in Anchorage stated: "The Kenai National Wildlife Visitor Center will serve as a window and passageway, both figuratively and literally, into the natural environment of the Refuge. The building design should facilitate an experience that moves visitors physically, emotionally, and intellectually from a focus on vehicular to a focus on nature, using the visitor center as a decompression/transition zone with the culmination of the progression being immersion in the natural environment of the Refuge".

Michael Campbell, General Manager of SIKU, said, "I am very proud of our Design/Build Team's response to the vision given us by the Fish & Wildlife Service and National Wildlife Refuge team. We are all creating a unique building and site, which will not only reflect the vision, but which will also be a part of the interpretive experience".

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The building and site will be constructed to LEED Silver and USFWS stringent environmental and energy building standards. The Visitor Center will include energy efficient heating and lighting systems, a sod roof, photovoltaic array (solar cells), and use many native materials to construct the building.

In addition, the SIKU/Kautaq team will also be reaching out to Kenai/Soldotna subcontractors and vendors for inclusion into this project.

When the new Visitors Center is completed, the current Visitors Center space at the Headquarters Building will be renovated to be administrative offices.

UICCS is a holding company of Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation (UIC), an Alaska Native corporation, of Barrow, Alaska. Umiaq is part of UIC Professional Services, also of UIC.

Press release from SIKU

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