Architectural Journalist, B2B Content Creator, Ghostwriter Extraordinaire for All Things AEC
Adding to its growing portfolio of mass timber buildings, Hines opened T3 ATX Eastside in Austin. Sharing some of the triumphs and challenges of this unique project, Cherise Lakeside, FCSI, interviewed Bobby Larson, Senior Associate, DLR Group. The design team decided to expose some the exterior timber. Consequently, the natural greying of the wood over time will help the new building better blend into its surrounding environment. In embracing the local context, Laron’s team selected materials and textures to compliment the exposed timber including leather, blackened steel and brick. “Their natural texture, colors and patterns with slight variation fit with the timber structure,” explains Larson. Another issue with mass timber is negotiating the permitting process for the structural requirements, fire protection, acoustics, etc., particularly when jurisdictions are not so familiar with this building type. “We try and meet with the city early in the project and go over the code justifications to make sure we both understand the code the same way. Then once we get into permitting, we can head off a lot of questions,” he relates. #masstimber #architecture #structuralengineering #officedesign
