While the Air Force was dealing with an aging facility and some old mechanical systems that presented some unique challenges, NOAA had a newer property to work with in an industrial park designated for high-tech tenants.

Unlike the Air Force, NOAA opted for a design-build contract, with the contractor acting as designer. NOAA had a conceptual design in advance, which it then used in its solicitation.

Darren Smith, the project manager who works in the office of NOAA's CIO, said the U.S. General Services Administration, which manages federal properties, favored the design-build option because it had a very tight budget. "It meant that we got a fixed, firm price for the whole thing," he said.