Multi-story office design must change in response to lessons learned during the pandemic. Vox went so far as to say “this is the end of the office as we know it” way back in April 2020. That bold statement may be reactionary, but more than 20 months later it is clear the workplaces of tomorrow are going to look drastically different.
Businesses large and small face the same challenge: Design workspaces to not only safeguard employee health but also accommodate fluctuating workforces now that work-from-home has proven viable.
In recent years, multi-story office design had already shifted to address sustainability and create flexible open floor plans. Now, health and safety takes priority, along with acoustic control and aesthetics.
Innovative steel building systems—long-span steel roof and floor structures; standard steel joists; and special profile joists—engineered by a collaborative supply partner are the answer to the evolving multi-story office segment.
The following projects use steel building systems to overcome the challenges facing multi-story office design.
The Texaco Oil Building in Houston, completed in 1915, was vacant for years before developers began converting it to a mixed-use complex. The 17-story, $99.5 million project features a deep-ribbed composite floor system, Deep-Dek® Composite, to maximize space while ensuring lightweight floor assemblies, a necessity for a building on the National Register of Historic Places. Now known as The Star, it is a reborn jewel in the heart of a rejuvenated area of the city.
See project photos here.
Telus Garden in Vancouver unabashedly celebrates its building components as design features, including a dramatic cantilever over an adjacent street and exposed structures. A deep-ribbed long-span composite floor system makes the cantilever possible, while the Deep-Dek Composite floor left exposed creates a bold, deep-fluted look. To meet the challenge of the open floor plan in the multi-story office design, the deck slab assembly cleared a remarkable span of 32 feet and is 30 percent to 35 percent lighter than an equal thin-plate concrete slab.
Read the case study here.
Space is perennially at a premium in New York City. To create the expansive interiors needed for this 202,000-square-foot mixed-use space in Harlem, KSK Construction Group used a deep-ribbed long-span composite floor system. The six-inch Deep-Dek Composite profile is able to create clear spans up to 36 feet for the free flow of people inside. Aesthetically, the deep-ribbed system when left exposed has a pleasing look while seamlessly integrating mechanical, electrical and plumbing components.
See project photos here.
In response to the pandemic and related behavioral changes, today’s multi-story office design faces an evolving environment that demands innovative solutions. Specifically, there are five main challenges in multi-story office design and construction.
The right combination of steel joists and long-span floor and deck systems enables you to create stunning, practical spaces while addressing flexibility, constructability, sustainability, aesthetics and work environment. Our guide shows you how to elevate your multi-story office design.
Welcome to a new school of design thought. Today’s school design projects must meet a unique class of performance demands. Innovative steel building systems are the right tools for the job.
Create attractive, spacious residences. Answer the call for a higher quality of living in today’s multi-story residential structures. Steel building systems meet the needs of post-pandemic living spaces.
Building a better steel experience
