News & Insights
NASA JSC’s new support facility to consolidate operations and improve efficiency
Salas O’Brien supports NASA’s vision for the future.
On February 13, 2025, Salas O’Brien team members joined NASA leadership, project partners, and local officials to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Building 22 Center Facility Support Building at Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. This 45,000-square-foot facility consolidates essential campus operations by replacing 28 outdated buildings with a modern, flexible, and energy-efficient space.
As the engineering design partner, Salas O’Brien is delivering this project in collaboration with Healtheon, Inc. under a design-build contract. The new facility provides office and workshop space for JSC’s Administration, Maintenance, and Construction departments, bringing together custodial, groundskeeping, and maintenance staff currently dispersed across temporary structures.
The project incorporates several unique design requirements, including:
- Resiliency & sustainability: The 30,500-square-foot warehouse portion is designed as a functional metal building to meet Category 3 hurricane storm surge and wind-loading requirements while maintaining B22 siting requirements.
- Historic preservation: The 14,500-square-foot administrative section features pre-cast concrete panels approved by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to align with the architectural heritage of JSC.
Photo from left to right: Summer Hogan (Healtheon), Lance Nowacki (Healtheon), Jas Walia (Healtheon), Eric Merschman (Salas O’Brien), Terry Tullis (Salas O’Brien), Arnold Morrison (Salas O’Brien), Sabrina Addison (Salas O’Brien), Karoline Derse (Salas O’Brien), Julie Schroeder (Healtheon), and Gabrielle Vera (Healtheon).
The collaborative design-build approach prioritizes energy efficiency, sustainability, and long-term lifecycle cost benefits, fully aligning with NASA’s environmental and operational goals. The project is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and is targeting LEED Silver certification.
Initial site work began in December 2024, with occupancy slated for Fall 2026.
During the groundbreaking program, three Salas O’Brien team members—Terry Tullis, Vice President; Arnold Morrison, Senior Vice President; and Sabrina Addison, Senior Interior Designer—were recognized for their contributions to this significant project.
Salas O’Brien is proud to support NASA’s mission through innovative, resilient, and sustainable infrastructure solutions.