Spectrum

In this four-story corporate headquarters building, the tilt-up idiom is fully explored and expressed. Tilt-up panels have large punched openings with jambs, sills, and headers of cast-in concrete. This allows deep set glass which helps express the power and thickness of the concrete walls. The consistent repetition of this condition delivers a commanding presence along a major highway. All exposed concrete was cast from a white mix and heavily sandblasted to provide a warm white color with a softened texture. Horizontal reveals helped ease the building into its site. Generous floor-to-floor heights of 14 ft. provide functional flexibility for laboratory plenum spaces within, while also contributing to the dignified proportions of the exterior. The building plan bends at the center with a gentle curve to acknowledge the turn in the adjacent street. On the interior, this helps orientation by providing distinct north and south wings. The recessed end walls are also tilt-up, though these walls are clad in warm colored wood panels. Edge walls express the thickness of the tilt-up walls. A canopy at the building entrance is cantilevered dramatically from tilt-up piers.

By using concrete tilt-up, the developer was able to reduce the cost of the shell by 20% compared to conventional office construction methods. Ultimately, the price savings was used to upgrade the HVAC and other components important in obtaining a LEED certification. LEED Certification is under final review with approval expected shortly.