Five-By-Five: The Making of the Pentagon

Five-By-Five: The Making of the Pentagon

J.M. Syken

Course Outline

In this course, we will examine the historical background for the design, construction, operation and major renovation of the Pentagon building in Arlington, VA. We will discuss the need for consolidation of War Department activities in one centralized location in the days immediately before and after America’s entry into WWII. This discussion will include the selection of the site for the new War Department headquarters in nearby Arlington County, VA (on the west-bank of the Potomac River) as well as the influence of the initial site on the choice of a pentagonal configuration and the controversies surrounding site selection.

The key participants in the Pentagon’s design/construction will be highlighted as will be the record time in which it was designed, built and occupied. The choice of reinforced concrete as the primary building material, layout of “rings,” floors, corridors, bays, transportation and retail facilities, road network etc. will also be of prime interest. The role of the Pentagon in the post-WWII years as the home of the Department of Defense and the problems associated with an aging structure leading to a major renovation project commencing in the 1990s will also be of great interest. The September 11th 2001 terrorist attack on the Pentagon and its subsequent renewal under the Phoenix Project will be discussed in-depth as will be the memorial to 9/11 on the grounds of the Pentagon complex.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will:

Understand/appreciate the problem of “decentralization” of War Department offices (in seventeen different buildings) within the District of Columbia and the need for an efficient, centralized structure to house the department’s activities;
Understand/appreciate the growth of military activities in Washington D.C. in the days leading up to the Pearl Harbor attack and the expediting of the Pentagon’s completion in it’s aftermath;
Understand/appreciate the role of General Somervell in conceiving a large, low-rise building in nearby Arlington County, Va. as the solution to the problem of decentralization;
Understand/appreciate the short time in which the Pentagon was designed and constructed including the role of Leslie Groves, who was selected to head the Manhattan Project as a result of his performance in building the Pentagon in record time;
Understand/appreciate the need to conserve vital war materials and the choice of reinforced concrete as the primary structural system for the building;
Understand/appreciate the influence of the initial site selected on the use of a pentagonal configuration and its retention in the design of the building in its final location;
Understand/appreciate the evolution of the building’s design which made use of the unique circle-like characteristics of the five-sided Pentagon shape to minimize distances between offices;
Understand/appreciate the use of ramps in lieu of elevator service;
Understand/appreciate the road network established to serve the Pentagon “reservation” and the efficiency of its transportation services;
Understand/appreciate the on-going use of the Pentagon as headquarters of the DOD In the post-WWII years and the need for major renovation work in light of its location on a flood plain, levels of hazardous materials and antiquated infrastructure;
Understand/appreciate the goals of the Pentagon renovation including measures to protect the building against terrorism/attack;
Understand/appreciate the events of 09/11/2001, the damage sustained and the work of the Phoenix Project to restore the Pentagon’s damaged areas; and
Understand/appreciate the goals/achievements of the renovation project post-9/11, and;
Understand/appreciate the memorials dedicated to the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for architects, engineers and other design professionals.

Benefit to Attendees

The attendee/s will gain an intimate knowledge and insight into the creation of “The Largest Office Building in the World” – the Pentagon

Course Introduction

The course includes an in-depth PowerPoint presentation and the viewing a documentary film.

Course Content

In this course, you are required to view/study the following slideshow and the materials contained in the web pages:

Five-By-Five: The Making of the Pentagon (printable handout in PDF, 6 MB, see Note A below for downloading instruction)
Five-By-Five: The Making of the Pentagon (non-printable slideshow for screen-viewing only, 20 MB, see Note A below for downloading instruction)

Archival/Documentary Film:

TITLE: The Pentagon, Washington D.C.
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XptkGHmfIWg
DURATION: 06:00

Note A: Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right-clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader from your computer.

Course Summary

To the +20K military and civilian employees of the Pentagon it’s: the “Five-Sided Funny Farm” or “The Potomac Puzzle Palace,” but from its conception (in the dangerous days before America’s entry into WWII) it has - and still does, have a critical mission: defend the nation in both war and peace. Conceived in the mind of a logistical genius, the basic “Five-By-Five” (five sides by five floors) design was conceived in a weekend’s time and in the space of only a few weeks, the first shovel broke ground (on September 11th 1941). Military planners knew war was imminent and 4K workmen labored to construct the building, which would provide centralization to a woefully decentralized War Department. After December 7th 1941, the completion of the building was a national priority and 15K men worked in three shifts to get the job done. By April 1942 the first tenants moved in. The Pentagon was dedicated in January 1943 and complete by February 1943 – only sixteen months after it began. Seventy years later to the day, another war would begin with the Pentagon itself the target of the opening shots. The efforts of the architects, engineers, contractors and construction crews to restore the building (and make it better and safer than before) in those dark days after the 9/11 attack were motivated by the same patriotic spirit of the men and women who first built the Pentagon two generations earlier. A simple geometric shape, the Pentagon will forever be associated with the defense of the nation it serves.

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pentagon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGJSZN4apvs
(Film: American Airlines Flight 77 - 1:20:07)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8Zbwbad8Mw
(Film: Inside the Pentagon - 53:55)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VYdtCLF9ks
(Audie Murphy - America's Most Decorated Soldier of WWII - 12:08)

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.