I have chosen to use steel for my framing system. I believe steel fits in better with my buildings aesthetic than other materials such as wood. Although it is less weather resistant than concrete overall, I am mainly concerned with corrosion of the steel. Due to the dry climate in the Bay area, I do not think the steel would be at a high risk for tarnishing. If it was, it can be protected by a coating or other corrosion inhibitors. Steel is a more cost efficient product than concrete and it is sustainable in that most of it can be recycled after it is used.
I think exposing the structural features on the interior of the building will make it more interesting to its visitors and add to the experience. This will be highlighted in the areas on the second floor with high ceilings with beams.
My building has a rectangular geometry which makes it nice for the grid layout. However, I am experiencing difficulties using the attach to gridline feature in Revit. This makes constructing the structural elements of the building more difficult and confusing. I need to debug this so I can attach the columns to the roof. Regarding this challenge, my structural model is a work in progress.
On the North side of my building I do not have any columns running through the exhibition spaces to make them feel as open as possible.