Baltimore Crosswoods @95

Overview

In the densely populated greater Baltimore area, it can be very difficult to find 1,000 acres of raw land. After securing the purchase of the land, the owners embarked on a plan to transform the area into a major business center with offices, distribution, light manufacturing and some retail space. The county hopes the park will generate 10,000 to 15,000 new jobs for the area.

Extremely familiar with Tilt-Up, the developers knew from the onset that Tilt-Up was the right building system for this project. These three buildings comprise the first phase of a large industrial business center along a newly extended state highway. The developers wanted to capitalize on the many benefits of Tilt-Up including unique design possibilities, accelerated schedules, flexibility, security, durability and cost savings. A unique attribute to this project was that four Tilt-Up panels were used to create the water and electric rooms, which also had a flat beam Tilt-Up panel as a roof. The owner selected Tilt-Up for these rooms because it was more cost effective and saved time on the project. The structural steel truss girders, bar joists and columns provide a roof diaphragm that transfers wind and seismic loads into the concrete wall panels.

The developer had a specific aesthetic in mind for this project. To ensure the proper paint color was selected, the contractor did several paint samples on the side of the building so the developer could get an accurate view of the color. Tilt-Up allowed the team to try several different colors before making the final selection to ensure all were happy with the results. The project incorporated several green/sustainable initiatives including recycled material in the rebar, windows to provide day lighting, and the stone base under the floor slab and parking included reclaimed locally available material. The Tilt-Up concrete wall's thermal mass reduces heating and cooling costs, and the concrete panels allow limited air infiltration.

Located in an environmentally-sensitive area, this project required extensive coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers before construction could begin. Only 40 percent of the total acreage on the site was usable for construction purposes because of wetlands. To combat this challenge, the design and construction team worked with the Army Corps of Engineers and developed a storm water management system that retains 10-year storm (as opposed to the more common 2-year) and replenishes groundwater. Run-off from the parking lot area was contained to protect the sensitive surrounding area. The use of site-cast Tilt-Up assisted with this goal because Tilt-Up minimized site disruption during construction.

Features

The panels at the entrances were laminated to provide architectural interest and relief. To offer more detail and sharper shapes, manufactured pre-finished foam caps were incorporated at the entry areas. Unlike other Tilt-Up buildings in the area, one of these buildings incorporated roof draining instead of gutters and exposed downspouts to enhance visual appeal. A light base building color was used to reduce solar gain. Windows include high performance glass.

Recognition

These buildings received the 2008 NAIOP (Commercial Real Estate Development Association) Award of Excellence for "Best Industrial Park." Two of the buildings are fully leased and one building has one bay available.

Additional information

One tenant, BGE Home, of the 93,600-square-foot facility received Silver LEED certification for their space. The Crossroads @95 project is part of a major economic development project opening up along Route 43 and I-95 -- two heavily trafficked roadways. The development includes housing, retail and office space.