BAE Systems

Summarize the project's program, features and achievements?

The program of the project included a large manufacturing area, multi-story office space, and lobby/reception space. One of the key features of the project was utilizing the lobby and reception area as a unifying element between the two other program areas. A connection between the manufacturing and the office spaces was critical to the overall function of the user, but it also highlighted a primary design goal which was to focus visitors on the lobby entrance while still presenting both the manufacturing and office spaces as balanced halves of the overall workforce at the BAE campus.

What obstacles were overcome related to the schedule, budget, program, specification, site, etc. on this project?

The schedule and budget on this project were very aggressive. We were able to minimize the impact of these during the design phase by issuing early drawing packages for structural steel and concrete tilt wall which expedited the submittal schedule and secured pricing for certain materials during a time of dramatic price changes. The site also had its own challenges. Originally, it was a topographical low point on the site and required a large amount of fill to render a buildable area. This also required specific drainage strategies such as sub-surface drainage within landscaped areas and perimeter foundation walls, as well as a clay cap around the perimeter of the building footprint to mitigate groundwater at foundation walls.

Please communicate any engineering complexities or unique features of the panel design for this project?

The panel design for this project included essential two unique modules. The four story office building implemented panels with wide openings to receive glazing at each level and left open the corners of the structure to allow curtain wall to infill the two sides, allowing for a flood of natural light and expansive views of the Parker campus that stretch all the way to downtown Austin. The manufacturing building panels were the second module. A single story structure but with panels nearly as tall as the office building, the goal was to break up what would otherwise be an uninterrupted stretch of concrete panels with minimal openings that faced one of the busier internal vehicular routes. At first, form liner was explored. However, this rendered unfavorable results as the scale of the walls overwhelmed any formliner detailing. Our alternative approach utilized a pattern of vertical reveals created by the wood formwork which gave a greater depth of detail and articulation to the panels, maintained the sense of verticality across the long, horizontal facade, and was executed much smoother than a typical formliner approach and without noticeable gaps in the pattern. These reveals were all within the structural tolerances of the panels which maintained a simplified strategy of formwork and prepour preparation.