Best Military Website

Fort Belvoir’s housing has an important and colorful history: its villages, reflect housing trends that were often associated with major, nationwide construction campaigns catalyzed by an event in military history. Initially created to meet a contractual requirement as part of developing housing on Belvoir, the Fort Belvoir Housing History website serves as a vital educational resource for current and prospective residents, military members, and the general public. It is a time capsule that honors The Villages at Belvoir’s dynamic history, chronicling Belvoir’s housing from the first major construction period in the 1920s to the current privatization through the Residential Communities Initiative, established in 2003. Although the original website, created more than 15 years ago, provided quality information, it was extremely unattractive and difficult to navigate. To improve the appearance and user experience, the team recreated the site in 2021 to feature clean fonts, tasteful whitespace, and colors to compliment The Villages at Belvoir’s and the Army’s branding. The team also enhanced existing components including voice recordings of experts discussing Belvoir’s housing history and an animated timeline highlighting military events and Belvoir housing developments. Each of Belvoir’s 13 villages has a unique story of its own which is delivered through long-form pages designed to engage users with headings, images, and callouts–while still providing a detailed narrative of each village. Unlike the former unapproachable site, the new website invites users to learn about the stories that depict Belvoir’s housing history, domestic life, segregation, and architectural context–all categorized by neighborhood for easy comprehension.

Contributors:

CRC COMPANIES

Location: USA