Cold-formed steel design honored

Cold-formed Steel Engineers Institute (CFSEI) presented three design excellence awards in creative design, technical innovation, and best practices in the use of its namesake material.

“Congratulations to each of these companies for overcoming significant design challenges with innovative solutions utilizing cold-formed steel framing,” said Maribeth Rizzuto, CFSEI managing director. “There are so many creative ways to use cold-formed steel-framing for mid-rise building projects; we received many excellent submissions for this award. It was difficult to make the final selections.”

First place went to Base Design Group for the Meditech Foxborough Office and Conference Center. The four-story project in Foxborough, Maryland, consisted of a complete renovation of an existing property that had not been occupied in years. It included removal of an existing elevated concrete floor slab and existing steel columns to make way for a new two-story, 568-seat auditorium with a center stage area using cold-formed steel framing as the primary structural system. The auditorium was unique for its elliptical-shape.

Second place went to Excel Engineering for a 107-unit condominium and the first residential project to be constructed in a development known as ‘The Wharf’ in Washington, D.C. The area includes retail, residential, hospitality, offices, cultural, a public park, and piers. Most of the design consisted of load-bearing cold-formed steel framing. The wall-framing contains complex curves and angles, which required prefabrication offsite.

ClarkDietrich Engineering LLC took third place for William P. Hobby Airport Expansion Project. Southwest Airlines established a hub at Houston’s Hobby Airport and wanted to expand its international flight offerings, which required an expansion of the international terminal. The plan called for five new terminal gates and a parking garage.

For more information on the award-winners and their designs, click here.