Austin City Hall
| Owner | City of Austin |
|---|---|
| Client | Datum Engineering, Inc. / Cotera, Kolar, Negrete & Reed |
| Project Location | Austin, Texas |
Key Features:
- Multi Story Frame
- Cast-in-place concrete
- LEED Gold Rating
We are proud to have recently finished the new Austin City Hall Project. P.E. Structural served as the engineer for this 118,000 sf building. The four level building structure sits atop a below-grade four level parking garage which was designed by Datum Engineering. This has been an excellent project for us to showcase and take full advantage of our 3D design and visualization capabilities. We would have been hard-pressed to adequately respond to the geometric and structural challenges of this project without the unique and state-of-the-art design methodology that we have developed.
The primary structure consists of cast-in-place concrete slabs and beams that are designed to work together with concrete columns as a three-dimensional multi-story frame. This allows the dramatic stacking of cantilevered floors as envisioned by the design architect, Antoine Predock. The cantilevered floors, heavy loads from structurally supported planters and terraces, long spans, and the fundamental complexity of the building’s geometry have made this project both challenging and unique.
In addition to the structural complexity of the building, a second challenge was to incorporate sustainable building principles into the building’s design and construction. We collaborated with the sustainability consultant in an effort to achieve the LEED Gold Rating. Structurally, we contributed to the design team’s “green” construction efforts by using a high-flyash content concrete mix for the entire building structure.
Awards
- U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold Rating
- 2008 First Place in the Intensive Institutional Category of the Green Roof Awards of Excellence from Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
- 2008 Notable Project Featured in Architype Review
- 2007 Finalist Project Award to Datum Engineers, Inc. in association with P.E. Structural Consultants, Inc. from the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations
- 2006 Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) 18th Biennial Design Award
- 2005 Texas Construction Magazine, Best Public Building Project