Masonry Magazine April 2004 Page. 32
Benefits of Masonry
Masonry over Tilt-up:
The G.G.R.-L.L.C. Building
BUILDING OWNERS rely on aesthetically appropriate
structures for attracting their markets. For this reason,
designers have been turning to masonry for creating
attractive architectural statements throughout the range of
commercial buildings. Architects have found that mason-
ry, with its nearly infinite variety of textures, shapes and
colors, is the perfect material for creating functional
designs of interest. In addition, by choosing masonry, the
architect protects the owner's bottom line through the
material's long-term durability and its low maintenance
requirements.
The G.G.R.-L.L.C. Build-
of rough textured split-face coursing and smooth-face CMU,
tied together with continuous horizontal bands. The smooth-
face sits above a base of split-face CMU up to the windows.
Instead of the in-reveals of the tilt-up design, the architect
added out-reveals four feet on center with offset horizontal
mullions. The building entry is cylindrical, attaching to the
block at both sides.
To reduce labor and materials costs, the architect called for
a single-wythe wall system. This eliminated the need for an
additional back-up structure since the building's skin and
frame would be one. The size of the smooth-face CMU, 8"
wide x 4" high x 16" long, also produced cost savings as it is
assembled relatively quickly.
ing is located on a 1.4-acre site As native St. Louisans, the owners had
in the Spirit Trade Center, a grown up appreciating the area's heritage of
rapidly developing business beautiful brick buildings
park located in west St. Louis
County. Its purpose is to serve
as a combination headquarters for the group's National Educa-
tional Acceptance, a company that finances tuition for private
career schools through outlets across the United States, and as
an investment property.
The owning partnership originally decided to build
with precast concrete tilt-up construction, a material com-
monly used in office parks where warehouse facilities inter-
mix with office applications. David W. Dial Architects P.C.,
a Chesterfield, Mo., firm, was charged with designing a tilt-
up facility that would be both aesthetically significant and
cost-efficient.
The owners planned to build a 10,000-square-foot struc-
ture: 5,000 square feet to be occupied by their own business
and 5,000 square feet to be leased. After an initial design was
produced, the partners decided to add another 5,000 square
feet for leasing as a way of maximizing their Return on Invest-
ment. This change in plans triggered a second tilt-up design.
At this point, the partners began questioning their decision to
use tilt-up construction. Sensitive to costs, the owners were dis-
turbed by the frequent repainting that the tilt-up structure was
going to require. In addition, as native St. Louisans, the owners
had grown up appreciating the area's heritage of beautiful brick
buildings. Comparing the look of tilt-up to that of masonry, the
partners strongly preferred the rich appearance of brick.
After some investigation, the partners found a Cherokee
block-a half-high concrete masonry unit - that produced the
look of brick while fitting well within their constrained budget.
Not only did the Cherokee capture the upscale feel of brick, its
low maintenance requirements offered advantageous life cycle
savings that would keep it within the partners' budget parame
ters. As a result, they gladly switched to masonry, a move that
would allow them to build their headquarters with the presti-
gious look of brick.
With tilt-up eliminated, the architect revamped his design
for CMU, creating an L-shaped single story building with four
elevations of masonry. The design called for the juxtaposition
GGR
RAYSTONE DUAL
As a result of the decision to build with masonry, the part-
nership is blessed with a building that is both beautiful and
functional, one that will produce cost savings over the decades
of its life. Not only are the partners delighted with the look of
the new facility, they are confident that its beauty will help
them attract potential tenants in what is an increasingly over-
built local market.
As one partner described his new headquarters: "It definitely
presents a great image. We think it will give us a competitive
advantage when it comes to leasing, especially when it comes to
attracting a company that is looking to establish a high profile."
As the Festus Middle School and the G.G.R.-L.L.C. building
illustrate, masonry's position at the top of the materials pyra-
mid is well earned. A masonry building is the perfect combina-
tion of beauty and cost efficiency, capable of satisfying even the
most demanding owner.
After all, it is magic!
The Masonry Institute of St. Louis (MISL) serves as an
educational and informational resource for those interested in
masonry design and construction in the greater St. Louis
area. For more information on the MISL, please call (314)
645-5888 or visit www.masonrystl.org.
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Masonry
April 2004
SPECIAL SECTION
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