Barracks

Barracks
FirstIntro	"?"
Constructed	DHARMA Initiative
Controlled	Locke's group

The Barracks is a secure residential base area on the Island comprising houses and other surface buildings with electricity and water service, plus an unknown number of underground facilities. Originally constructed by the DHARMA Initiative, the Others took control after the Purge, using the Barracks served as their home and base of operations on the Island. The Others abandoned the barracks in "Left Behind". According to Ben's radio tower map, it is south of the Pearl.

As of "The Economist", the Barracks is controlled by Locke's group.

History - The DHARMA Initiative

The DHARMA Initiative used the barracks primarily to house the staff of the initiative on the Island.

DHARMA School

A DHARMA classroom ("The Man Behind the Curtain")

The DHARMA Initiative included a school to educate children of DHARMA workers in the barracks. Horace states that the school offers a "good education" in a conversation with Roger.

The school is equipped with a siren system that alerts the class if there is an incident involving the Hostiles. It appears that the classes have a set routine in this event, which involves the children covering themselves under their desks and chaining the entrances. The teacher also has quick access to a rifle.

Main Hall

File:Main Hall.PNG

Roger and Ben in the Main Hall ("The Man Behind the Curtain")

Newcomers to the Island would be welcomed in the main hall. It is here where they would undertake an induction process, beginning with the barracks video. Following this the new members would be assigned their professions, their tasks and duties. Once this had taken place they would then be members of the DHARMA Initiative. There is also a station where a Staff doctor/member gave injections to the arrivals, presumably for the sickness. It is here where Ben first met Annie.

This area was likely dismantled or destroyed, the docks were the same style in both episodes that the docks were visible, but the structure is only visible during the flashbacks.

Playground

Ben opens the birthday present from Annie. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")

The playground is the outside field which all the buildings in the barracks surround and was built for children members of the DHARMA Initiative. When Ben was young, he and his friend Annie used to play at the playground. This was the place where Annie gave Ben the two dolls as a birthday present. Much later, Jack is seen playing football with Tom at this place in "Par Avion". Later Sayid is held captive here in "The Man from Tallahassee", chained to a nearby swing set for 3 days, as Juliet reports in "Left Behind". Ryan Pryce guarded Sayid at the Playground. When arriving at the Barracks, Miles noted that they had a playground and sarcastically asked if they had a daycare. ("The Economist")

Lake and wharf

Juliet arrives on the Island ("One of Us")

The lake is a small body of water within short walking distance of the barracks. It is notable for the wharf that sits on its shores. It is not nearly as big as the Pala Ferry pier, and only looks big enough to house one vessel at a time. The Submarine was stored here as of "The Man from Tallahassee". The lake is shown in full light in "One of Us".

The filming location of the lake is actually an artificial coastal fishpond. [1]

Transport

Ben and his father loading up a DHARMA van ("The Man Behind the Curtain")

DHARMA workmen were able to travel quickly from the Barracks to other locations using a series of DHARMA Vans. Travel consisted primarily to stations on the Island such as the Pearl. The vans were often use to transport food and other materials in deliveries. Workmen were those who would make these deliveries.

The Purge

The barracks, right after the purge ("The Man Behind the Curtain")

The DHARMA Initiative engaged in a long-running conflict with a group on the Island known as the Hostiles. The conflict ended when the hostiles, in alliance with certain staff of the Initiative including Ben Linus, released a toxic gas. The gas killed most of the DHARMA staff at the Barracks. Afterward, the Barracks was taken over by the Others, a group that consisting of the Hostiles, ex-DHARMA personnel, and people recruited in the outside world.

Currently

DHARMA cabling map ("Par Avion")

The survivors' discovery of the Barracks began when Sayid found a map in the Flame with the location marked on it. According to Sayid, the map showed "electrical and data cabling running from the Flame... to a place called the Barracks". He also said that the barracks were "comprised of houses and dormitories, with water and power, large enough to accommodate an entire community." He correctly surmised that this is the location of the Others' home. ("Enter 77")

The Others have since left the Barracks for the temple. Locke's group has now settled at the Barracks. ("The Economist")

Location

The barracks in relation to the crash ("A Tale of Two Cities")

The Barracks are located on the main island at the base of some hills. In the opening scene of "A Tale of Two Cities", Ben says that Goodwin can make it to the tail crash site within an hour if he hurries, demonstrating that the location is not very far from that portion of the coastline.

The DHARMA cabling map shows that the Barracks is southwest of the Flame station. It is also known that there was road access to the Swan and the Pearl stations from the Barracks.

The orientation video for the Pearl station instructed DHARMA staff return to the Barracks via the Pala ferry at the end of their shifts. This suggests that the sea route to the Barracks from the Pearl is somehow preferable to the land route.

Ben's Radio Tower Map shows the relative locations of the beach camp, the Pearl, Radio Tower and the Barracks. And by inference, it also shows the position of the Flame. However, the map is problematical in that the relative distances between sites do not seem to match up with observed travel in the show. The map also does not properly overlay onto Rousseau's maps.

Based on the mile markers on the bottom of the DHARMA cabling map, the Barracks is roughly 1 mile across.

Layout

Using the DHARMA cabling map as a reference, along with images so far seen of the area, it appears that there are 18 yellow buildings, all built in a similar style:

• A cluster of 6 structures on the western side. One building seems to be close to the termination for the western tunnel.
• Another cluster of 6 on the southern side. The easternmost building seems to be close to the termination point for the eastern tunnel. The houses of Ben and Juliet are in this cluster.
• A cluster of 5 between these and on the northern side of the main road. The northernmost building seems to be near the termination for the northwestern tunnel. Jack's house was on the southern side of this cluster.
• A larger lone structure to the east.

These buildings are arranged in a circular pattern around a central picnic area with a lone Norfolk pine tree, and a nearby white gazebo. There are only footpaths (no roads) between the houses.

The DHARMA cabling map details of the Barracks inside the sonar fence are taken from the set design materials. The map reflects the actual layout and buildings of the YMCA camp that the production uses for filming exteriors of the Barracks.

The long distance images of the Barracks seen in "A Tale of Two Cities" were artifically generated and do not match up with the layout of the actual sets. This can best seen in examining the differences between the arrangement of the buildings around the gazebo in the close-in shots versus the layout seen in the distance shots. It can be assumed that the layout of the YMCA camp represents a portion fo the Barracks, but it is unclear if there are meant to be other buildings beyond the physical layout of the camp.

The Others' society

The Others seem to have constructed a tight-knit community in the barracks. They have all of the conveniences of modern living, such as electricity, plumbing, ovens, relatively new books, and CD players. This indicates that they are able to receive goods from off the Island. They also seem to have recreational leisure activities, as people can be seen biking as well as playing football in "Par Avion". The community also has a book club. Although it is still unknown exactly how many Others were housed in the Barracks, Jack, who spent several days there, implies in "Left Behind" that he believed about fifty people to have been living there.

Juliet's house

Juliet's house at the Barracks ("A Tale of Two Cities")

Juliet's house is located in the barracks and is where the book club is held ("A Tale of Two Cities"). It is a yellow, one story house.

In Lost: The Official Magazine Volume 1, Issue 9, official art by Scott Cobb shows Juliet's house having wooden roof beams, a television set, a dining room table, and the area where the book club discuss. A kitchen is also seen, as well as a hallway leading into what is presumably the bedroom and bathroom.

In "Eggtown", in this house Hurley was closed up in a closet.

Some of Juliet's possessions include:

• "Downtown", a song by Petula Clark, which she played before the book club meeting.
• Speaking in Tongues, an album by Talking Heads, which was placed in another CD case.
• Carrie by Stephen King, Juliet's favorite book.

Ben's house

Ben looks at the pictures of the young Alex on his wall

Ben's house is located in the Barracks. Ben is seen exiting it to watch Flight 815 break apart in "A Tale of Two Cities". It has since been refitted to make access and living easier for a wheelchair-bound Ben, including a motorized bed shown in "The Man from Tallahassee". In the same episode, Locke makes note of all the modern conveniences that the Others seem to enjoy, such as electricity, running water, and "chicken in the fridge."

Masks line Ben's house's walls.

Ben's house contains a collection of paintings of various locations on the Island; these are mounted upon the walls in at least two rooms. There are photographs of Alex at various ages also framed on the walls, as well as a painting of a woman, which was also seen in the Linus' home in "The Man Behind the Curtain". There are also various carved masks and relics hanging throughout the house. Ben's house is two stories, unlike the rest of the Others' houses.

The house's basement is grayer, and more industrial looking and Dharma like than the floor above it. It is used by Locke for holding Ben. ("Eggtown")

In "The Economist", a secret room is revealed behind one of the bookcases on the ground floor of Ben's house. The room contains bundles of cash in a variety of currencies, multiple passports for Ben Linus and clothing suitable for the outside world.

The house is shown to be occupied by Locke in "Eggtown".

Jack's house

Jack in his house ("The Man from Tallahassee")

Jack lived with the Others as part of their society while he looked after Ben, and saw him back to better health after his surgery. The Others allowed Jack to live in one of their houses during his stay. This house was rigged with security cameras, so that they could continuously monitor Jack. The house contains a small corridor along with a main living space that includes a piano. ("The Man from Tallahassee") It is unknown who lived here before Jack.

Recreation room

Kate and Jack in the rec room ("The Man from Tallahassee")

The recreation room appears to be a room full of recreational activities for people. Among the collection is a backgammon game, pool table, a foosball table, the board game Mouse Trap, and two arcade games. Kate is held captive in this room by the Others in "The Man from Tallahassee" and "Left Behind".

Locke's group later held Ben and Sayid captive in the room. ("The Economist")

Boat house

Kate approaches the boat house. ("Eggtown")

The boat house is a small cabin beside a lake near the barracks. It appears to be mainly a storage room for life jackets, ropes, nets and other boat related items. Locke used it to keep Miles prisoner. ("Eggtown")

Security perimeter (sonar fence)

The sonar fence ("Par Avion")

The Barracks are completely surrounded by a hypersonic barrier that can injure or kill anyone who passes through it. The DHARMA Initiative referred to it as a sonar fence. The intensity of the fence can be adjusted and sections can be deactivated by typing a code into a keypad on certain pylons.

The DHARMA Initiative orientation film at the Barracks stated that its purpose was to keep the abundant wildlife of the Island out. The barrier was later shown to be able to keep out the Monster.

Trivia

The dove ("A Tale of Two Cities")

• According to Ben's maps, the Barracks is just south of the Pearl.
• Before the name of the location was revealed, it was given the names "Otherville", "Othersville", and "Utopiaville" by fans. Further nicknames were "Bennsylvania" and "Losteria Lane".
• The production design notes call it "Othersville" and "Ext. Suburbia" (Season 3 DVD)
• The producers' nickname for it is "New Otherton". (Season 3 DVD)
• The Barracks was first mentioned in "?", in the Pearl's orientation video. This was a season before the Barracks first appeared in "A Tale of Two Cities".
• Close inspection of the zoom out at the end of the opening scene of "A Tale of Two Cities" reveals a dove, flying over.
• Ethan Rom is seen underneath Juliet's house, repairing the plumbing. The plumbing that Ethan is working on is typically seen in houses with well water. ("A Tale of Two Cities")
• The pine tree is a Norfolk Island Pine, genus Araucaria heterophylla, fairly common on the Island of Oahu, where the show has many filming locations. These trees were often planted on tropical islands by early sailors to be available for ship masts, and are well adapted to tropical climates.
• There are speakers along the pathways, which are similar to or exactly the same as the Hydra Station's speakers at the cages where Sawyer, Kate and Karl were kept.
• Also lining the pathways are what appear to be solar powered garden lights.
• There are a number of posts with security cameras and floodlights.
• The filming location is at the YMCA Camp Erdman in Hawaii - (Source: Lostvirtualtour, The Economist-Enhanced transcript)
  • The Lost crew painted all the houses yellow before filming.
  • The crew also installed the gazebo.
• Ben lives close to Juliet.
• Ben's house has two stories, unlike the other houses. The second story is actually a false front attached to a one-story house.
• On Ben's bookshelf can be seen The Quran, Red Man's Religion and Kings of Love.

• The Barracks has no telephone or electrical poles, though it does have electricity, which indicates the presence of underground power distribution.
• In The Beginning of the End, Locke states that he is going to the barracks, as it is the safest place on the island.
• The following interiors at the Barracks have all been shot at the YMCA Camp Eardman assembly hall. The assembly hall is reconfigured internally with different size partitions to pass for the different locations.
  • DHARMA school
  • Recreation room
  • Fireplace building
  • Main hall

Unanswered questions

Unanswered questions
Do not answer the questions here. Keep the questions open-ended and neutral: do not suggest an answer. More details...

For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: Barracks/Theories

• Why did the Others leave the Barracks?
• What is the Barracks' power source?
• Why do the appliances seem newer than the rest of the Barracks?
• Why does Ben's house in particular, have a whole underground "facility" and hidden room?