Former RAF Alconbury: Combined Physiological Support Division (PSD) and 17th RW Squadron Building (Building Number 199)

Combined Physiological Support Division (PSD) and 17th Reconnaissance Wing Squadron operations building (Building Number 199), built in 1989 for the United States Air Force. It was designed by Mott, Hay and Anderson, structural engineers, with the architects Briffa Phillips responsible for the chemical and biological cell. It was constructed by Peter Birse Limited.

MATERIALS: of reinforced concrete.

PLAN: the building is rectangular on plan, aligned north-east to south-west.

EXTERIOR: the building's external form is of a two-storey monolithic concrete box with a flat roof surmounted by a large blast valve penthouse, also with a flat roof. The lower ground floor is underground, and part of the ground floor is concealed behind a grass-covered earthen berm which has been reinforced with steel mesh. The concrete walling above the berm has recessed parallel bands running around all four sides of the building. At the centre of the south-east side there is a projecting entrance/exit block for pilots and ground crew, flanked on each side by two emergency exits stairwells with mono-pitched roofs and personnel hatches. An identical emergency exit is placed on the north-east side. The penthouse consists of two parallel plenum chambers, each with two rows of blast valves that were part of the air-handling and ventilation system in normal situations, allowing the free passage of air, but would automatically close and prevent over or under pressure from damaging the interior of the building due to the detonation of a nuclear weapon in the vicinity.

INTERIOR: although the lower ground floor was not inspected at the time of survey due to flooding, it still retains, along with the ground floor, its original layout of windowless rooms. The main entrance/exit along with the emergency exits still retain their original air-lock blast doors, although some have been damaged. Some of the internal spaces have also been damaged, but most rooms still retain their Steeltone acoustic wall and ceiling linings. On the ground floor, the pilots lounge still has its back projector with faux wood panelling to the walls, while the job control/radio/pilot interrogation room still retains its job control board and personnel desk.

The link corridor connecting the building to the Physiological Support Division (PSD) Building (Building Number 200) and the 17th Reconnaissance Wing Squadron Operations Building (Building Number 201) is excluded from the listing.