RS+K

When Madison, Wis.-based advertising firm RS + K wanted a unique, distinctive design for their new office building, they knew exactly where to turn. For years, the agency has handled advertising for Newcomb Construction Company, the only Tilt-Up contractor in southwestern Wisconsin.

The owners’ desire for a head-turning design brought several complex elements to the project, such as irregularly shaped 8-foot-wide panels with 4-foot offsets for windows. The roof structure provided additional challenges, incorporating a 4-foot-high band of windows directly below the roof and a Douglass fir diaphragm roof deck with a 4-foot roof projection.

The structure also features a stair tower formed by eight curved panels surrounding a concrete paved stair for wind-bracing support. To meet the agency’s aesthetic needs, white concrete was used, along with steel cladding, which complements the owners’ collection of motorcycles. Clear glass and clear anodized aluminum framing were used to complement the exterior concrete and steel.

Judges selected this project for the intricate panel shapes that remind you of a jigsaw puzzle – an architectural element that is easily accomplished with Tilt-Up and nearly impossible with other construction methods. Further, the blending of construction materials – concrete with stainless steel “shingles” – was a tremendous success.