Light and Reflection

While touring the project yesterday, I was impressed with both the quality of the natural lighting within the building as well as the reflective quality of the exterior glazing. 

Chief Mechanical Engineer Dan Reider inspecting the ceilings prior to finishes.

There are several places in the building where the interior walls abut the exterior glazing.
This is beneficial and intentional.  The light washes  the wall and is thrown into the space. 

View from the adjunct faculty offices towards Palmetto Academy across Pampas Drive.
The darker colored glazing to the left is part of the exterior glazing pattern.

The vertical sections, or mullions, of this piece of curtainwall are butt glazed.
Notice the reflection of the existing building and the man on stilts finishing the interior walls.

The East glazing reflects the trees while the North glazing reflects the sky.

Workers cleaning the brick at the South end of the building.

Friday Morning was a quiet morning onsite

Curved East wall without scaffold.  The exposed brackets will support the glass canopy.

Mechanical equipment including chiller (top) and two air handlers - One air handler each per floor.

Mason tooling up a joint

One Year In

It has been a full year now since the project started and in a short 4 months it will be substantially complete.

Scaffolding being removed along the curved Eastern wall

Roofers, glazers, and masons working at the South end of the building

The building is substantially covered with the roof now in place

We are at a point of the project now where we are beginning to see some of the final detailing.  Here is a brick detail as seen from the second floor.

Head detail at monumental arch

Masonry Begins

Photo: Julianne Rice

Masons working on the South side of the North Stair Tower

View of North Curtain Wall framing from the Mason's scaffolding

Looking North from the second floor offices

Head of wall masonry detail

Photo: Julianne Rice

Details - Mechanical Garden Screening

An architectural screen wall provides a common area for the Rooftop Mechanical equipment

The Architectural Design team grouped the Rooftop Mechanical equipment into a single area and surrounded it with a sculptural galvanized steel screening.  The open mesh panels behind the "X's" were requested by the local Community Appearance Board.  The area is known on the project as the Mechanical Garden.

The chiller platform in the foreground is elevated 4' above
the roof deck to facilitate roof repairs and maintenance.

Screen Wall Detail

Much Progress Has Been Made

Here are some recent pictures from the jobsite.

Building is topped and taking shape.

South Elevation.  The curved wall at the scaffold will be brick.

Workman re-applies spray-on
air and vapor barrier to the building envelope.

Masons building the firewall at the Connector

Team discusses the removable portion of the Rooftop Mechanical Screen

Interior Metal Framing

It has been a couple weeks since the last Post.  Nonetheless work is progressing nicely.  Below are a some snapshots of the Interior metal framing as well as a few exterior views.

Looking through some of the Faculty Offices on the second floor

Looking into the second floor corner office

Large 80 person classroom taking shape

Head of wall detail.

View of the first floor bathroom entry vestibule

Those two puddles are intentional - They are bathroom floor drain locations

View of the East wall parapet framing 

Workers frame the south exterior wall

Exterior Sheathing going up along the East wall

July 24, 2011 - Exterior Metal Framing

Last week work continued with the interior partition framing and most of the first floor was framed.  Work also began on the exterior metal framing.  These are the exterior walls of the building around the perimeter that keep the weather out.

You can see the new silver exterior framing at the base of the Eastern wall columns

Detail at base of column

The Construction Documents require that all ductwork be sealed while under construction.
This prevents dust and construction particulates from contaminating the ductwork.

Special types of slotted attachment anchors are required at the top of the metal framed walls.
Interior walls need to accommodate up to 1-1/2" of movement and the exterior walls need to accommodate up to 1". 

Taking Shape

July 17, 2011 - Begin Metal Framing

Last week Precision Walls installed the partition framing on the second floor while the plumbers, RC Jacobs,  worked roughing-in the plumbing from the ground floor below.

Looking East from the North Stair, second floor.  
Faculty offices straight ahead and to the left.  

Shared Ground Floor plumbing stack.  Mens room to the right and Womens room to the left.

Looking South, second floor corridor.  Classrooms are to the left and to the right.

These sleeves fit within the cavity wall for plumbing in this location.

These sleeves will be relocated into the cavity wall to the right.

Electrical conduits for a wall panel on left and Roof drain sleeve on the right.

Contractor is using the largest classroom on second floor for material staging.

Floor slab and curb poured at Mechanical penthouse.  Penthouse roof framing and sheathing is also in place. 

Until the next Post...  Lookin' Good!