Your Design Journal entries this week should highlight your design thinking that influenced your decisions about:
- your overall strategy and the features of the structural system
- the material and framing system selected
- the locations of structural columns and major framing elements
- any special structural challenges
I wanted to use a wood framing system for aesthetic reasons, and because it’s a material that the local builders are familiar with. For the structural beams, I used 6” x 1’ lumber, and for the beam systems, I used 3” x 9” beams. Each column has isolated concrete supports to carry loads to the ground. I placed concrete walls around the elevator and the stairs and placed wall supports underneath them. For the columns, I used square steel beams which provide the support for the building, and they are surrounded by 24” diameter wooden columns. The columns are placed so that you’ll be able to see them on the lower level which is where the café, store, and exhibition spaces are located. The columns are 8 feet from the exterior wall on the northern side of the building so that they align with the floor on level 2. On the southern side of the upper level, I moved the columns closer to the wall so that they would not be seen in the classrooms and office spaces. The most challenging part was the roof, but I learned some useful tricks from Glenn that I’ll definitely keep in mind for the future!