Project Overview
A variety of challenges arose in creating a parking structure that encompassed nearly 1 million ft2 (93,000 m2), provided 1,700 parking spaces on three supported levels, and was capped by a 7 acre (2.8 hectare) rooftop park.
The rooftop park required the need to design for heavier loads and to upgrade waterproofing and fire separation. Components were designed using precast to account for those upgrades, and those requirements were met with no delays in scheduling.
Precast Solution
The original concept called for a steel-frame structure, but the design-build team quickly recognized that an all–precast concrete structural solution better met the design needs and construction schedule.
Spandrels were custom designed in color, material, and shape, creating an overall palette that suggested a grove of trees. Embedded thin brick was used in four shades of green, all of which were handmade in Nebraska and shipped to the precaster, where they were laid into the forms.
A contrasting gray shade was used for the spandrels to suggest the trunks of nearby trees. The spandrels were designed to cover only the ends of the tees, allowing thin cables to stretch from column to column. This maximized daylight that entered the building. The cables were posttensioned through the precast concrete columns, and a friction-fit steel connector was hidden within the columns. |