The headquarters building is the home for the administrative, engineering, and legal staff of this regional public utility. The project included the complete renovation of an existing vacant office building and a 48,000 SF expansion, creating a new 89,000 SF facility.
The four-story office building is supported by a steel-framed structure. The main atrium, the focal point for the building, separates the addition and existing construction. The floating monumental stair, supported only at the floors, wraps around a two-story waterfall fountain. The curved stair stringers are built up out of plate material and provide support for the curved glass railing system.
The second floor elevator lobby consists of etched glass plank flooring supported by cantilevered built-up curved box beams, similar to the stair stringers. The west end canopy is supported by a single line of V-shaped columns fabricated from 1” plate material. The V-columns slope back at a 10-degree angle. At the canopy roof, the legs of the V extend out as cantilevered roof beams. This project presented multiple structural challenges, requiring creative solutions beyond the realm of typical structural engineering.
