The project in Fig. 2.2.

3(a) is an integral part of a substantial

redevelopment of an outdated 1960s urban complex.
The major elements include a 36-story office tower;
an 11-story, 61-unit residential building; and an enclosed
winter garden pedestrian arcade. The residential building
follows the curving street edge, taking a graceful crescent
shape. The precast concrete lends itself to the fluidity of
such a design, as the convex base of the building gently
turns inward to form a concave surface. The consistency
of the precast concrete was a necessity in the construction
of the circular design, which requires repetition in
form to achieve its desired look (Fig. 2.2.3[b]). The precast
concrete takes on a columnar form around the entrance
to the winter garden, and continues along the garden s
entire 480 ft (146 m) length, providing a rhythmic pattern
both internally and externally on the adjacent park. The
precast concrete base to the office tower skillfully blends
with the steel and glass construction. The base integrates
vertically with the tower that soars above it, as precast
concrete fingers reach upward into the highrise portion
of the structure as the material transitions. The precast
concrete forms a delicate frame for the window walls and
incorporates scale, dimension, and shadow to the wall.
If unfamiliar with architectural precast concrete, prior to
designing wall panels, the architect should visit an architectural
precast concrete manufacturing plant, as well as
any projects that are under way. This way the designer can
become familiar with the manufacturing processes and
installation procedures and, most importantly, establish
realistic expectations for the finished product. Elements
such as the fabrication of molds, challenges to casting and
finishing specific designs or shapes, relative material costs,
handling methods at the plant and jobsite, approaches
for connecting panels to a structure, and establishing acceptable
color ranges are important to fully understand
precast concrete and maximize its potential.
Reveals and rustications must be placed in a repetitive
pattern in order to minimize modification throughout a
mold s life. Reveals, like all form features, must be designed
with draft (by creating bevels) so the panel can be stripped
from the mold without damaging the mold feature.
Cost premiums are introduced to a project when the
panel cross-section becomes more complex or intri-