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The journal of the American Institute of Architects



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 * Thinking Outside the (Residence Hall) Box

DESIGN INTEL



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THINKING OUTSIDE THE (RESIDENCE HALL) BOX


THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE IN KENTUCKY SELECTED A DURABLE—AND
AFFORDABLE—INSULATED CONCRETE FORMS STRUCTURAL SYSTEM.

Brought to you by Build With Strength
Tom Fougerousse

The University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky., took no chances when it came to
building their first new residence hall in 31 years. Budget was a priority, of
course. But so was a building life, maintenance, interior flexibility, student
comfort and engagement, sustainability, and acoustics.

What construction type should it be? Wood? Structural framed steel? Cold-formed
steel? Or concrete masonry units?

Answer: None of the above.

“The construction manager’s review determined the least expensive
non-combustible option meeting all university requirements was insulated
concrete form,” reports Colin Drake, AIA, principal and the project’s design
lead for the Lexington, Ky.–based firm JRA Architects.




$34 PER SQUARE FOOT

At $34 per square foot for building core and shell with precast floors, the
structural system cost for insulated concrete forms was persuasive (about 5%
less than concrete masonry units and 50% less than cold formed steel). What was
convincing was the host of benefits that price is expected to deliver for the
next 70-plus years.

The project—the 452-bed Belknap Residence Halls—is a pair of distinctive
five-story, 130,000-square-foot, Z-shaped structures housing first-year
students. The buildings occupy the heart of the campus, directly across from the
Student Activities Center. That coveted real estate proved to be one of the
challenges ICF uniquely addressed: minimal campus disruption through
construction speed.


REMARKABLE SPEED

“We built two 130,000-square-foot residence halls in the time it took to erect a
nearby wood-framed podium residence hall that’s half the size,” Drake says.
“Each Belknap Residence Hall took about 13 months to build. That’s a remarkable
pace … about a floor a week.”

The ICF project is a first for the university and JRA Architects. “We are very
agnostic to construction type. Ironically, when we started the second building
the price of lumber spiked. We’re confident ICF was probably even cheaper than
wood at the time. Also, concrete was one of the few materials that wasn’t hit by
wild price swings,” the architect notes.


ACOUSTICS AND MORE

What else about the project sets it apart? Several things according to Drake:


 * Planes, Trains and Automobiles. The close proximity of three major
   transportation systems could be a major study distraction as airliners pass
   by 1,000 feet overhead, trains rumble by 200 yards away and the ceaseless din
   of a busy interstate highway is just 600 yards away. Fortunately, ICF quiets
   that cacophony to a barely audible whisper thanks to an STC 50+-rating.
   What’s more, students are shielded from above and below interior noise by
   sound-silencing 11-inch-thick precast concrete planks.
 * Cold Weather Friendly. “Not a day of ICF construction was lost due to winter
   weather,” Drake observes. Even below freezing temperatures don’t stop
   concrete pours. All that’s required is a thermal blanket across the top of
   the wall until the concrete is cured.
 * Adaptable Interiors. “If the last two years taught us anything, it’s the
   value of adaptability,” Drakes says. “Belknap Residence Halls interiors can
   be configured any way you like. You’re just moving around drywall. No load
   bearing walls. Nothing to hinder alternate floorplans.”
 * Design-Friendly. Drake points out the residence halls are hybrid structures,
   integrating steel frame construction to “… celebrate public space with glazed
   cladding. Marrying two systems together gave us the best of both worlds.”
 * Lucky Seven. The project’s structural engineers—Brown+Kubican—now count
   Belknap Residence Halls as their seventh higher education residence hall
   project in Kentucky made with ICF.

Drake knows ICF isn’t right for every project. No building system is. But when
it meets the right conditions, it’s a powerful candidate. To prove the point,
the JRA team was just awarded contracts for two public school projects using ICF
as the basis of design.

Learn more on how ICF may be the right structural system for your next project.

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