Best Office Building - Edward Jones North Campus Building B2, Maryland Heights, Mo.

This six-story, multiphase expansion of a suburban corporate campus endeavored to maximize design and function while remaining within budget. The warm aesthetic characteristics of limestone made it the material of choice by the owner and architect. The use of limestone, however, would have limited the scope of the project. Fortunately, precast concrete has the unique and enviable ability to take on the characteristics of many other materials. The architect and engineer took precast concretes unique strengths a step further by incorporating carbon-fiber-grid reinforcement into the precast concrete panels. This not only allowed them to achieve the limestone aesthetic qualities they needed, but also allowed the panels to remain under 50 lb/ft2, greatly simplifying the project and eliminating the need for a structural redesign. Further playing to precast concretes moldable characteristics, the architect worked with the material to create a Bauhaus-inspired design incorporating expanded polystyrene insulating foam, green-tinted glass, and sunshades.

Precaster: High Concrete Group LLC, Denver, Pa.
Website: www.highconcrete.com/

Architect: Arcturis, St. Louis, Mo.
Website: www.arcturis.com/

Engineer of Record: Alper Audi Inc., St. Louis, Mo.
Website: www.alperaudi.com/

Category:

Science & Technology

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• PCI
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• concrete
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