Designed by LEVER Architecture, The project is a 19,000 sqft commercial building that is an exploration of the industrial building typology typically know as ?Flex.” Generally constructed as simple industrial structures with metal roll-up doors and interior mezzanines, the design elevates this ubiquitous typology with mass timber structural elements and a distinctive angular building form. Its large 200? x 95? open floor plate is divisible into eight, 24? structural bays, allowing the building to be partitioned for diverse tenants, from a restaurant to small maker spaces.
Photography: Jeremy Bittermann
Inside, the open, loft-like interior blends industrial character with architectural quality. The 80? triangular clerestory, skylights, and glass garage-style doors bring daylight into the deep floor plates. Being a speculative development with a highly economical budget, the team was challenged to find design, materials, and building technology solutions that would bring architectural presence to an everyday structure. Photography: Jeremy Bittermann
Flex?s innovative and economical design solutions include: Perimeter walls were prefabricated in a factory off-site, allowing for greater quality and faster installation; Iconic building form realized using off the shelf or prefabricated materials and systems; 6? structural cantilever along the building entry created from panelized glulam and plywood modules that were assembled on site; Spacing of glulam roof beams at 2? on ...