8 West Centre

8 West Centre is an approximately 240,000-sq.-ft., four-story Value Office project recently completed in the Houston market. After researching 300+ ton crane usage on the East Coast, such a crane was used to complete the 30-ft.-wide, four-story panels on this project. To further innovate, each 30-ft. panel was separated by "triveting," adding a 5-ft.-wide glazed gap, and topped it off with a ribbon window on the top story. As always, the Value Office building also features column-free, all-glazed corners as well.

The result is a building that defies categorization as tilt wall, and indeed overshadows many telltale signs a pre-cast building has. The glass-to-wall ratio is the indicator of this quality - 67% glass-to-wall, 62% being vision glass. The lease line on the interior is 25 ft. of continuous glass, 2.5 ft. tilt leg, 5 ft. of glazing and repeat. This combination of glass to wall ratio and lease line exceeds many all curtain wall buildings.

The 8 West Centre project achieved LEED Gold Certification, exemplifying tilt-up construction as a sustainable method. Additionally, the cost of construction only (site not included) on this project was $60 per square foot, a savings of nearly $18 per square foot over an identical conventionally built building.