CH2M HILL, a global full-service consulting, design, construction, and operations firm, has delivered a comprehensive feasibility study regarding renovations to the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial (LEM) in Marnes-la-Coquette, France. The study represents a comprehensive analysis of a historical monument that pays tribute to and is the final resting place for American pilots who served with the French Air Force in World War I.

 

The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) contracted CH2M HILL, at the request of the United States Congress, to prepare a study regarding the costs of restoration and operation of the Memorial. The study included architectural/engineering evaluations; assessment of improvements to the Memorial; evaluation and development of a concept for the addition of visitor’s services; and cost estimates for all future recommended renovation work, site improvements and maintenance.

 

The project required a wide range of expertise from groundwater modeling to structural assessment to historical research and architectural vision. According to project manager and architect David Thompson, perhaps the greatest challenge was trying to find a technically-sound solution for barrier-free access to and climatization of the interior space while respecting the solemn ambiance of the crypt and historical significance of the monument.

 

“This successful project demonstrates one the great strengths of CH2M HILL: the ability to bring to bear specialized expertise and extraordinary talent from a broad range of professional disciplines and deliver a coordinated and thoroughly conceived project in Europe,” Thompson said.

 

The LEM is a privately-owned memorial located near Paris that honors American volunteer pilots who flew for the French Air Force before the United States entered World War I. Constructed in 1926, the four-hectare site includes a crypt with 68 sarcophagi and honors those who flew with the Lafayette Escadrille and the Lafayette Flying Corps squadrons. Many of these pilots joined the U.S. Army Air Service after the U.S. entered the war and formed the core of combat experienced pilots that represent the roots of the U.S. Air Force.

 

Prior to delivery to the U.S. Congress, the report was reviewed and approved for release by the White House Office of Management and Budget.

 

Headquartered near Denver, Colorado, USA, employee-owned CH2M HILL is a global leader in consulting, design, design-build, operations, and program management for government, civil, industrial and energy clients. The firm’s work is concentrated in the areas of water, transportation, environmental, energy, facilities and resources. With US$6.3 billion in revenue and 23,000 employees, CH2M HILL is an industry-leading program management, construction management and design firm, as ranked by Engineering News-Record and named a leader in sustainable engineering by Verdantix. The firm has been named a FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For five times and a World’s Most Ethical Company three times. Visit us at www.ch2mhill.com, twitter.com/ch2mhill and facebook.com/ch2mhill.