Fairbanks Nutrition Services Center: Borough's new school district kitchen serves something special.

• Author: Lavrakas, Dimitra
• Position: BUILDING ALASKA: SPECIAL SECTION

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The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District Nutrition Services Center in Fairbanks prepares 1,400 breakfasts and 5,000 lunches daily to serve students from Salcha to Eielson Air Force Base--putting a new spin on "meals on wheels." For those working at the new facility, it dishes up something the Interior offers very little of seven months of the year--light.

DAYLIGHT KITCHEN

"We were successful in providing day-lighting in all the occupied spaces, including the main kitchen, which improved the quality of the work environment for the administration and kitchen staff," said Alex Bettisworth of Bettisworth North, who was construction administrator along with Tracy Vanairsdale, who was project manager/ architect for the project.

"Where allowed, windows were operable to provide fresh air and allow the use to control ventilation."

The kitchen is open and bright and airy with gleaming stainless steel countertops that also help to reflect light around the room.

"The kitchen is a flow diagram, with a large receiving area that includes freezers and a dry storage, the main kitchen and the dispatch area for food ready to be taken out to the schools," Bettisworth said. "During the design, we brought on a kitchen consultant that had previous experience in industrial and commercial kitchens and was the consultant on the new central kitchen for the MatSu school district. Their experience in modem kitchen process and equipment layout was essential in the final design and function of the building."

It was important, he said, because of the daily wear and tear that occurs in the kitchen. The facility has tough equipment and sturdy building materials.

"We specified low-maintenance and durable materials throughout the kitchen and administration area," he said. "Because of the sanitary issues related to kitchen design, the need to provide easily cleanable surfaces that could stand up to heavy use was very important."

CREATIVE REMEDIES

In 2005, the borough commissioned a facility options analysis to assess building and building systems conditions and adequacy of the food preparation systems and equipment at the existing facility at Eielson. It found that neither the facility nor the food preparation equipment was adequate to currently serve the borough and certainly not its future requirements. Plus, it did not meet American Disabilities Act standards, did not have sufficient storage, did not have enough parking for employees, and not...