First project for Tribal One Maryland: Design/build NIST Robotics Testing Lab

Tribal One (T1 Construction, LLC) will lead a team to design and build a new Robotics Response Test Facility under a $7.3 million design-build award from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Located on the NIST campus in Gaithersburg, Md., the project marks the first award for Tribal One’s newly opened Columbia, Md., office.

Tribal One will design and construct a new facility for testing drones and other robotic devices. It will be built next to an existing facility where tests are conducted based on the requirements of end users such as search and rescue operations and bomb squads and commercial users. The scope of work includes facility, infrastructure, site work, mechanical, electrical, HVAC, fire protection, water, sewer, storm water, PEMB, data and security.

Implementing a variety of design principles, including Urban Design, will allow the new facility to conform to the prevalent character of the campus. Other design elements will incorporate natural light and preserve and enhance the landscape. By embracing sustainable design principles, the completed project will attain LEED Silver Certification at a minimum.

“This award marks the first opportunity for Tribal One to perform a start-to-finish design-build project and our first project for NIST,” said South Carolina Regional Director Chris Carter. “We have assembled an experienced and accomplished team to ensure this build will meet and exceed our new customer’s expectations.”

Partnering with Tribal One on the project are ATI, Inc., an architecture and engineering firm that worked on the original NIST robotics testing facility, and Harkins Builders, Inc., a full-service construction firm with extensive experience throughout the mid-Atlantic region. Both companies are headquartered in Columbia, Md.