My structural framing design features steel and wooden elements. For the locations where I am able to conceal the structural frame, I was able to incorporate steel columns and beams to enhance the structural integrity of my building — I will be concealing all steel components within my 15’ gypsum board ceilings and walls. Since the design for my academic building revolves around nature and a classical Victorian aesthetic appearance, I selected wooden beams for the exposed areas to enhance natural elements and to help create a nurturing environment intertwined with nature where students will thrive. Studies show that nature enhances creativity, and so, I would like to emphasize such components within my building design.

I added rectangular 72”x48”x18” footings on the grade level to help with the load capacity of my building. The bearing capacity of a foundation is a critical element in terms of building design as underestimating the maximum load that can be applied on a foundation could result in detrimental deformations and a hefty safety hazard.

For my level 1 and 2 floor plans, I started by creating my grid and working from the outermost layer towards the center of my building, from room to room.

The locations of the structural columns and major framing elements were contingent on the design of my building and overall aesthetic goals. Since I plan on concealing the exterior walls with bricks, I enhanced the structural integrity of my building by implementing steel elements all around the exterior. I started integrating large steel columns on the outermost layer and worked my way towards the center of my building at the nexus of all rooms.

For exposed areas, I emphasized natural components, as I believe green elements enhance both aesthetics of the building as well as the mental health of the building occupants.

I encountered challenges when thinking about how to lay out my beams since I featured an exposed area within the center of my building. I wanted to ensure I supplied my building enough support to sustain its weight and load capacity, which is why I opted for large 24x30 Concrete Rectangular Column for outermost layer of building.