Fort Lewis

Sustainable Furnishings for Barracks

Fort Lewis held a two day Barracks Furnishing Showcase in 2006 that was designed to collect input from Soldiers on the style and type of furnishings they would prefer to use in their living space. The Showcase featured renewable construction designs in furniture, fabrics, and flooring. Renewable construction means that the piece of furniture is assembled in a manner that allows it to be "renewed" at a fraction of the cost for replacement.

All vendors at the Showcase were required to display environmental information about their products. The showcased sustainable products usually came with warranties of 10 or more years. Longer warranties meant that the vendors would come on-site and make repairs to the furnishings, reducing the practice of discarding furniture that is partially broken or missing parts.

After holding the Showcase, Fort Lewis learned that the two issues that were most important to the Soldiers were space constraints and having their barracks feel more like homes and less like dorms. The Soldiers expressed their appreciation to have a part in the decision process of what would go into their homes.

• Mission Sustainable furnishings in the barracks increases the quality of life for Soldiers and improves their well-being. The furnishings also support the green procurement requirement of EO 13423.
• Community The Showcase enabled Fort Lewis to expand their outreach efforts by looking for new and innovative ways to educate the public about the installation's sustainability efforts.
• Environment Sustainable furnishings reduce waste and use recycled, renewable products.

Sustainability Outreach Coordinator: (253) 966-1784