WJE PROJECTS
Texas Capitol Complex
CLIENT |
Page Southerland Page, Inc. / Kirksey Architecture / HKS Architects, Inc. |
LOCATION |
Austin, TX |
Building Envelope Consulting and Peer Review
WJE was retained as the building enclosure consultant for the master architect team led by Page Southerland Page, Inc. and the building enclosure consultant to the architects of record (AORs) for the Texas Mall, the George H.W. Bush Building (Kirksey Architecture), and the Barbara Jordan Building (HKS Architects, Inc.).
BACKGROUND
Phase I of the Texas Capitol Expansion project is a bold re-envisioning of the land between the State Capitol and the University of Texas (UT) campus. It includes a below-grade parking structure and landscaped public mall (“Texas Mall”), a central utility plant, and two state office buildings—1601 and 1801 Congress. In addition to providing much-needed office space for state government, the project will connect the UT campus with the Capitol and provide a public amenity space.
SOLUTION
Waterproofing and drainage were primary concerns in the design of the five-story-deep, below-grade parking structure, located at what was once a portion of Congress Avenue. Early in the conceptual design phase, the Master Architect team faced a key decision regarding the waterproofing system to be used. WJE arranged for a visit by the project team to observe installation of the proposed blind-side membrane system being installed at another project that we were working on. The selection of this system affected many downstream decisions.
The two office buildings feature multiple waterproofed terraces and curtain wall system types. We consulted with the master architect team early on regarding the incorporation of granite fins into the unitized curtain wall system on one of the buildings.
As enclosure consultants on the AOR teams, we provided review and consulting services on the design of below-grade waterproofing and drainage systems, roofing, cladding, curtain walls, terraces, and other enclosure systems.
We continued to consult during construction, helping to resolve coordination issues between the different packages, commenting on submittals and requests for information, and performing site observations.
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