College
Location
Fort Pierce, FL
Structural Engineer
Cape Design Engineering Co.
Architect
Florida Architects, Inc.
Steel Joist Manufacturer
Quincy Joist Company
Steel Fabricator
Schuff Steel Company
The new educational facility for Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, FL, with a learning focus on Alternative Energy and Sustainability. The facility consists of a two-story wing with technical facilities and laboratories, along with a three-story administration area with offices and conference rooms.
The exposed and high-rise barreled steel joists frame the roof of the two-story lab that leads to a glass-paneled clerestory above a public lobby for an open, spacious interior. The open clerestory also extends over a two-story Flow Loop Simulator space, containing the only training apparatus of its kind on a public college campus in the state of Florida.
The barreled roof joists were an economical choice for the roof framing system and allowed maximum column-free flexibility, where needed, when designing for the rounded rooftop of the facility.