Caltrans Print

CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSIS Marcey Mankosa Michael Tyznik Alissa Weaver
Table of Contents
PROJECT
The Basics The Architect The Client The Site
2 4 6 7
INTEGRATION
Environment + Construction Structure + Construction
8 9
ENVIRONMENT
Daylighting Passive Heating + Cooling Active Lighting Active Heating + Cooling
10 12 14 15
STRUCTURE
Gravity Loads Lateral Loads Seismic Loads
16 17 18
CONSTRUCTION
Meeting the Ground Meeting the Corner Handling Water Meeting the Ground + Sky Meeting the Sky
19 20 22 24 26
Appendix
29
Project: The Basics
Project: The Basics
Name Firm Design Construction Client Program Size Cost
Caltrans District 7 Headquarters Morphosis 20012004 20022004 State of California, Dept. of General Services Governmental offices 2.1m gross ft, 13 stories $190m
Project: The Architect
WHY
Interested in experimental design Believes life has an order too complex to observe Lived in a dorm with skip-stop elevators Interested in connection, complexity, and continuity
What is ironic in a time of unprecedented advancement in scientific and technological inventions is the reactionary and superficial appropriation of historical forms.
Thom Mayne was born in Connecticut in 1944. When he was a teenager, he and his family moved to Los Angeles. He completed his Bachelor of Architecture at the University of Southern California in 1968. Mayne founded Morphosis in 1972, professing interest in experimental design and thorough research. Denouncing the notion that architecture lies in the forms of the past, Mayne sought a new architecture based on order as a necessary social condition, stressing that the complexity of the human interactions found in everyday life is not disordered or chaotic, but merely too complex to understand without investigation. He returned to Harvard University to complete a graduate degree. While living in the graduate student housing at Peabody Terrace, Mayne was introduced to the skip-stop elevator an elevator that stops on every few floors, requiring residents to take the stairs between these elevator landings a theme prevalent in Maynes architecture. Mayne graduated with a Master of Architecture from Harvard University in 1978. He is a founder of SCI-Arc and an active academic, teaching and participating in design juries at numerous institutions and universities.
It is embracing hazard, nurturing an eye for the idiosyncratic, the phrases left unspoken, the unfinished that allows us to utilize the potentiality of our cities. Our work is defined by its occupation of space and by the presence of the object(s). It is about the techniques of construction which provide for a frame of reference beyond beauty and history. That we are frightened of our world and see it as threatening is made abundantly clear by reviewing the plethora of architectural projects which have been realized to create an ersatz cultural experience. What is revealed in these schemes is a deep poverty of the imagination which is founded on a superficial understanding of what it is that gives life to a city. UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI REC CENTER SAN FRANCISCO FEDERAL BLDG
[...]ordered systems arise spontaneously out of conditions that look chaotic, but which really harbour hidden ordering principles. The true revelation of chaos studies is not that order appears out of real chaos, but that some systems which appear chaotic are actually just complex systems.
It is the ability to absorb the idiosyncratic which, in the end, gives the work its energy, immediacy and life. HYPO ALPE-ADRIA CENTER
Photos courtesy Morphosis
INTL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Photo courtesy Princeton University
Project: The Architect
HOW
Complex systems of layers form the buildings envelope Skip-stop elevator system is employed Both skin and ground plane are continuous and connective
Mayne uses layers to create a symbiotic system for the building envelope, which only provides the residents with dry, usable space, but it also shades and, therefore, cools the building, employing several environmental strategies. In addition, the skin converts sunlight into energy and transforms what would be a monolithic glass prism into a dynamic volume. Maynes personal experience with certain functional design decisions appear in the building. A skip-stop elevator system is central to the function of the building, as it is in many of his designs. Similarly, his experience using mechanized perforated metal panels in several other works led to their use in this project. The building surfaces are continuous from top to bottom, despite the skins various folds and additions of operable and fixed panels. Also, the pedestrian who visits Caltrans finds a continuity throughout the urban fabric as he progresses through several outdoor rooms created by the shading scrim overhead. The series of open spaces progresses from outside in the plaza near the street, into a second volume, bounded by the scrim canopy on one side and the building on the other, followed by the most interior of the exterior spaces, where the light installation flashes like the movement of a car. His belief that ordered systems arise spontaneously out of conditions that look chaotic, but which really harbour hidden ordering principles leads him to create architecture that helps people feel motion. People relate to ordered, classical buildings because they feel comfortable with the traditional and static form; thinner than the next, attached imperceptibly to unseen bones of structure. The CalTrans building is no exception to this: the skin escapes from the body just before it would reach its natural terminus in the ground. What man expects to be solid (architecture) is, in reality, porous and thin a series of delicate elements separated by voids. CONTINUITY however, in Maynes buildings, a person is engaged with transitional layers, each SKIP-STOP ELEVATORS
THE UNDULATING SKIN IS ONE CONTINUOUS SURFACE FROM GROUND TO SKY
CONNECTIVITY
effectively performs more tasks than simple economy demands. The exterior not
PROGRESSION FROM STREET, THROUGH PLAZA, INTO LIGHT CUBE

Photos courtesy Architectural Record and Knowlton School of Architecture
ELEVATOR LOBBIES
Project: The Client + Program
WHY
Environmental responsibility Publicity of building
HOW
Designed based on highway metaphor Design affected by Caltranss effect on LA
Caltrans is the moniker for Californias State Department of Transportation. When the agency wanted to build a new headquarters, they needed space for 1,850 Caltrans employees, as well as 500 Los Angeles Department of Transportation employees. In addition to basic office space, they required an exhibition space, retail, a cafeteria, a warehouse, an autoshop and autoshop yard, a day care center, a conference center, a wellness center, and a public plaza. The State of California has a commitment to creativity, environmental sensitivity and design excellence in public architecture. They also recognized that the building would be part of a large fabric of public spaces in Los Angeles and needed to function as such.
Quotes in a Caltrans speech bubble like this are comments from Duncan McIntosh, Deputy District Director of Administration for Caltrans District 7.
Thom Mayne designed a building for CalTrans based on the metaphors of a Los Angeles that was defined by the actions of CalTrans itself as it built the citys infrastructure over the past century. Mayne expressed, despite the blight of downtown Los Angeles, an optimism for the future. The building came at what Mayne referred to as a lovely time because Gehrys Disney Concert Hall, Moneos Cathedral, the expansion of Gehrys 1979 Childrens Museum, and the new courthouse all made improvements to the fabric of downtown L.A. In his mind, these projects begin to anticipate the L.A. of the future. The specific project deals with the demands of: 1) urbanism 2) environment 3) office culture in Gestalt unity & symbiotic relationship. The client had an insistence on quality that Mayne found influential.
LOS ANGELES CHILDRENS MUSEUM
HIGHWAY INTERCHANGE MANAGED BY CALTRANS

Photo courtesy So Cal Metro via Flickr
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
CATHEDRAL OF OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS

Photos courtesy Carol Highsmith and Dmitri76 via Flickr Sketch courtesy Frank O. Gehry
Project: The Site
WHY
Many public spaces Focus on vanity and publicity
HOW
Visual connection to surroundings Local construction techniques Thin construction echoes vanity Public plaza links into network of public spaces Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United States. The urban environment of Los Angeles contains many public spaces. One reason for this is the difficulty and expense of providing water infrastructure to developments, which leads to buildings being grouped in clusters. Another reason for the multiple public spaces stems back to when Los Angeles was made of several neighborhoods, each with its own public gathering space. As the home of Hollywood, Los Angeles is filled with young actors, actresses, singers, and comedians who are trying to catch their big break. Hollywood offers more than vanity; the HOLLYWOOD sign alone is an American icon. The motion picture and entertainment industries call this city home, as do the 12.9 million residents, only 1.7 million of which use public transportation on a daily basis. When one is in the public spaces adjacent to Caltrans, he is visually connected to the fabric of L.A., namely the courthouse building located a mere block away. Mayne connects the structure and construction of the building with devices employed in the urban landscape of Los Angeles. The ideas of surface and thin construction relate metaphorically to the L.A. mentality of vanity and appearances. The bold 100 on the side of the building echoes the iconography of numbers and billboards. The lights of the art installation in the public space mirror the lights of the myriad of cars that speed through the city on any given day. The expansive public plaza, a construct seen repeatedly throughout L.A., speaks of the seemingly idyllic climate of southern California. The concrete playground, a magnet for skateboarders, speaks of the social climate of L.A.
Site plan courtesy GA Document
Site model courtesy Centre Popmpidou
Integration: Environment + Construction
WHY
Complex scrim skin for aesthetics and daylighting control Quick construction was necessary
HOW
DAYLIGHTING The scrims daylighting purpose and performance is explained on page 10
Most of the exterior of the Caltrans building is enveloped in a second skin composed of perforated metal scrim panels. These serve an environmental purpose vital to the performance of the building, but required an intelligent design so as not to be extremely difficult to construct. The ease with which the scrim could be installed is demonstrated by the fact that the entire scrim faade was installed in a short period by only six workers, who were trained to do that specific task.
CONSTRUCTION The scrims construction is explained on page 23
SCRIM PANELING VARIABLES

Diagram courtesy Centre Pompidou Photos courtesy Carol Highsmith and Dmitri76 via Flickr Sketch courtesy Frank O. Gehry
Integration: Structures + Construction
WHY
Los Angeles is in the most active seismic region in the US
HOW
SEISMIC LOADS The structures considerations
Because Caltrans was built in such an earthquake-prone region, it was important that it be as safe in an earthquake as possible. This means the building was designed so that, even though its finishes may be damaged, it should never collapse due to seismic forces. Any buildings earthquake resistance is determined both by its structurethe pieces that hold the building upand its constructionhow those pieces are all put together.
for seismic loads are explained on page 18
CONSTRUCTION The constructions considerations for seismic conditions are explained on page 24
UNITED STATES SEISMIC ACTIVITY

Diagram courtesy James Ambrose Photo courtesy Architectural Record Rendering courtesy Edward Allen
10
Environment: Daylighting
WHY
Daylighting and outdoor views increase productivity Too many windows would cause too much heat gain
In an office environment, a suitable amount of daylighting (enough to work by but not so much that glare is a problem) is beneficial to both the employer and the workers. Having access to daylight, as well as views to the outdoors, increases employees morale, which in turn increases productivity. In order to maximize these factors, the building was designed to be a long narrow bar with copious amounts of glass curtain wall on all four sides. With such extensive curtain walls, heat gain becomes a primary issue.
SOUTH FAADE
WEST FAADE
We can see day light from even the most interior locations on 12 of our 13 floors. There is an Atrium light-well that transcends the center of the building that provides light. It does not have the scrim like the exterior facade. It is nice because you can view employees walking about on other interior floors as well as adjacent hallways.
Photos courtesy Morphosis
EAST FAADE
NORTH FAADE
Environment: Daylighting
11
HOW
Mechanized scrim panels to optimize amount of sunlight and views Panels are not entirely effective at regulating daylighting Central light well provides additional daylighting into core of building
In order to gain views outside from as many spaces as possible, Morphosis chose to wrap almost the entire building in either glass curtain wall or continuous ribbon windows. This amount of glazing necessitated a shading device to mitigate heat gain and keep daylight from overpowering spaces inside. The solution Morphosis chose was to cover both the east and west faades, which had the harshest sunlight, with a wall of perforated metal scrim. These panels vary in perforation to provide different levels of daylighting into different spaces, as well as varying levels of visibility to the outside. Certain panels are mechanized and respond to changes in sun intensity and weather conditions, opening up when the sunlight is less intense to provide a clearer view to the outside. The parameters by which these panels are programmed vary, which makes them move individually, rather than in unison. The effect is that the faade rarely looks the same twice. Morphosis assumed in designing the scrim that it would provide sufficient shading against harsh solar radiation, but the occupants of the building found that more horizontal sunlight, especially in the winter months, penetrates straight through the scrim. This necessitated the installation of shades on the interior of the building. The floor plates are shallow enough that daylight can reach almost every space, but Morphosis also designed a light well central to the building that extends all the way down over the buildings entrance. The well was designed both to bring an additional amount of daylighting into the building, as well as to provide views from one interior space to another. Sun only reaches the bottom of the well on the summer solstice. CENTRAL LIGHT WELL
21 DEC 10A
MECHANIZED SCRIM PANELS
SCRIM OPENINGS AT VARIOUS LEVELS OF SUNLIGHT
SECTION OF PANEL OPENING MECHANISM
11A
12P
1P
2P
3P
The initial design of the building did not have interior window shades included. We found after we moved in the early morning and late sun was too bright and need to be buffered further using roll down window shades.
Opening diagram courtesy A+U Other diagrams by Marcey Mankosa and Michael Tyznik
10A 21 JUN
11A
12P
1P
2P
3P
DIURNAL SUN/SHADE CYCLE OF LIGHT WELL
LIGHT WELL SECTION
12
Environment: Passive Heating + Cooling
WHY
Passive heating and cooling are effective 74.2% of the year Conventional air conditioning and heating are rarely needed
The psychrometric chart for Los Angeles indicates that passive heating and cooling strategies can be effective to keep a building in this climate comfortable for 74.2% of the year. According to the psychrometric chart, conventional air conditioning is never needed to keep the building cool, if the appropriate passive strategies are utilized. Conventional heating is rarely needed. In January, conventional heating is needed 56% of the time, but most of that time is during the part of the day an office building would be unoccupied. This means that, in the Los Angeles climate, a successfully designed building can use an extremely small amount of energy to keep its occupants comfortable.
Psychrometric charts from Climate Consultant 4
Environment: Passive Heating + Cooling
13
HOW
Scrim creates second skin, causing a solar chimney effect Southern PV panels act as sun louvers High-performance glass is used Building still dependent upon active systems
The building was designed with broad east and west faades, which have the potential for a very high amount of solar heat gain. The effects of this heat were mitigated by the design of the second skin, which acts as a solar chimney. Acting in response to the position of the sun, certain panels of the scrim skin open mechanically to facilitate airflow into the cavity between the skin. Air within the cavity is further heated by the sun, causing it to rise. The height of the building creates enough temperature difference to create the airflow required to keep the glazing cool, which helps keep the interior of the buildDOUBLE SKIN ing cool. On the south faade, there is no second skin. Instead, an open lattice framework replaces the scrim and supports a 14,000 ft array of photovoltaic panels. The panels spacing and angle (five feet apart at 50 off the horizontal) optimize views out of the building as well as the amount of solar radiation that hits them. This also means the amount of direct sunlight blocked from entering the building by the panel system is optimized. The buildings vision glass was chosen because of its exceptional Light to Solar Gain (LSG) ratio of 1.85. PPGs Solarban 60 Solar Control Low-E glass has an appearance similar to clear, uncoated glass, but a SHGC of .38, meaning it blocks 62% of solar energy from entering the building, while still allowing 70% of visible light to pass through. The glass is also an excellent insulator, with a .29 winter nighttime U-value. Even with these passive systems, it is difficult for an office building of this size to be completely independent of active systems. Some conventional heating and cooling are needed.
HEAT FLOW THROUGH THE SKIN CAVITY
The cells, which extend from the fourth to the thirteenth floors, generate approximately 5% of the building's energy while shielding the facade from direct sunlight during peak
Diagrams by Marcey Mankosa Section courtesy Centre Pompidou
summer hours. This has led to an energy Silver Rating.
PHOTOVOLTAIC WALL
SECTION THROUGH PV WALL
PHOTOVOLTAIC WALL CAVITY
14
Environment: Active Lighting
WHY
Daylighting is not sufficient in all spaces for all tasks Minimize environmental impact of lighting
The daylighting systems in Caltrans do not provide the correct lighting situation for all tasks at all times of day, so synthetic lighting was also designed into the building. Morphosis and Caltrans still wanted the lighting systems to have a minimal impact on the buildings energy consumption.
HOW
Efficient fluorescent lamps Central and local intelligent control
Office spaces within the building are provided with both direct and indirect synthetic lighting, utilizing energy-efficient fluorescent lamps. Energy savings are compounded by the use of intelligent control, both at the local level and via a central system. Each cubicle has motion sensors which detect at a granular level when a space is not being used and adjust the lighting accordingly. These systems are all coordinated by a central lighting control system, which can adjust overall lighting levels in a diurnal cycle, as well as based on the amount of ambient light being provided by the sun.
Another form of energy performance is the installation of light sensors in each cubicle.
Photos courtesy Architectural Record
Environment: Active Heating + Cooling
15
WHY
Passive heating and cooling are not sufficient
The passive systems Morphosis designed into the Caltrans building reduce the buildings dependency on conventional heating and cooling systems by a large degree, but they are not entirely sufficient to remove the need for active systems.
HOW
Three VFD chillers Three gas-fired boilers
We close the ventilation dampers when we use our Helipad, otherwise the helicopter exhaust
The building is cooled by three water-cooled VFD centrifugal chillers, utilizing non-HCFC refrigerant. One chiller is sized to handle the base cooling load, while the other two are sized to handle 50% of the peak cooling load. The chillers are in a basement mechanical equipment room, served by four open-cell, induced-draft cooling towers of equal size for heat rejection. Three equal-sized natural gas-fired boilers located in a basement level mechanical equipment room are required to heat the building. The flue gases are discharged into a common header flue that runs up a dedicated riser shaft to vent at roof level, 14 floors up. These boilers supply 150% of the buildings heating load.
fumes can enter the building.
Diagram by Marcey Mankosa
16
Structure: Gravity Loads
WHY
(Hypothesis)
Simplicity was necessary Building actually built on-time and on-budget CONSTRUCTION TIMELAPSE Project had a limited budget and timeframe
Both Morphosis and Caltrans were determined to get the building designed and built within the limited timeframe they were given to do so, but their budget was limited. This necessitated simplicity in the structural system.
Photos courtesy A+U
SIMPLE STEEL FRAME IS SHOWN IN CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS
HOW
(Conjecture)
Simple steel frame with fixed connections Columns rest below basement on pads Construction started before design was complete
The building has relatively simple and regular gravity loads, so the solution to getting the building built so quickly was to use an extremely simple steel frame structure. The concrete slabs transfer their gravity load to beams, which have a fixed connection to transfer their moment to the columns, as evidenced by the magic box in construction photos. The columns rest on individual pad foundations, as shown in sections of the building, while the basements act as rafts to support their own weight. This structure was designed first and construction of it began as the rest of the building and its systems were being designed. IDENTIFICATION
Diagram by Michael Tyznik Section courtesy GA Document
RIGID FRAME DEFORMATION UNDER GRAVITY LOADS
GRAVITY LOAD-CARRYING MEMBERS
Structure: Lateral Loads
17
WHY
(Hypothesis)
Ease of construction Unobstructed ribbon windows Building is mid-rise with relatively minimal lateral loads
One interesting phenomenon happens when the wind blows. The scrim sings, quite noticeably. It is like when you blow into a bottle.
In the design of the buildings lateral load-carrying structure, time and money were once again a major factor. This meant designing a structure that was easy and quick to construct, without increasing costs. The design also called for large, unobstructed expanses of glass, so reducing cross-bracing was important. These concerns were able to be resolved relatively easily, because the building is mid-rise, and has far less intense lateral loads than a taller building would.
Diagrams courtesy Kirk Martini
LATERAL STRESS DEFORMATION
Conservation of materials
BRACED FRAME
RIGID FRAME
HOW
(Conjecture)
Rigid frame construction Lack of regular cross-bracing
Because of the minimal lateral loads to the building, only a small amount of resistance to them had to be designed. To ease construction, it was important that a conventional structural system be used. The rigid frame construction chosen, while providing much less lateral rigidity than a braced frame would, is sufficient for the mid-rise lateral loads, while providing a major benefit. Because there is no cross-bracing, as evidenced in construction photos, there can be much larger unobstructed spans of glass. The rigid frame of the building transfers moment induced by the wind into the neighboring members, meaning that the moment is spread out over entire members, rather than being concentrated at connections and causing those connections to fail. IDENTIFICATION
Photo courtesy Nevayl via Flickr
NO CROSS-BRACING
RIGID FRAME: MAGIC BOX
18
Structure: Seismic Loads
WHY
(Hypothesis)
Los Angeles is very seismically active IDENTIFICATION

EFFECT OF MOMENT ON A NORMAL BEAM AT A FIXED CONNECTION
The area around Los Angeles is the most seismically active in the country. Buildings in the area must adhere to strict seismic regulations, and Caltrans was no different.
HOW
(Conjecture)
Rigid frame counteracts seismic forces Dogbone cuts ensure failure in beam rather than connection
Several methods were used to make the building seismically sound. The main method used was, again, the rigid frame, which, in and of itself, is very resistant to seismic damage. Braced frames have bad ductility characteristics under cyclic loading, which is important for seismic design. Braced frames lose strength and stiffness after the braces buckle. Martini Rigid frames, however, have good ductility characteristics, meaning they can bend in an earthquake without breaking. Because they are not dependent upon braces, they can have some members buckle and still retain their strength. This leads to the next method of seismic protection: dogbone cuts. The strength of a moment frame is entirely dependent upon its fixed connections. Dogbone cuts are parts of the beam near the ends where the flanges narrow. Under moment stress, the beam will fail here, preventing failure at the connection point. The building is designed such that in a catastrophic earthquake, although the finishes might crack or break, the structure of the building will not collapse.
Diagrams by Michael Tyznik Photo courtesy Nevayl via Flickr
DOGBONE CUT
EFFECT OF MOMENT ON A BEAM WITH DOGBONE CUT
Construction: Meeting the Ground
19
REVEAL
LIGHT WHERE ONE EXPECTS SOLIDITY
REVEAL
Photo courtesy Centre Pompidou Drawings by Alissa Weaver
WHY
The building is ON the ground
HOW
The building meets the ground with reveals
Caltrans rests on the ground as opposed to being in or of the ground. Because Mayne feels that the connection of building to pedestrians is important, he allows them to approach on grade. Rather than leading pedestrians under his building into the ground, he leads them through a progression of outdoor rooms, from light to dark, into his building. Because his building lacks the solidity of historical forms, it seems to float lightly on the landscape.
Mayne cuts the reveal where materials meet the ground to show their edge, in an attempt to define a boundary between the building and the ground. Practically, this detail also serves a maintenance condition. Any dirt that accumulates at the ground plane can be hidden by the shadow of the outermost surface.
20
Construction: Meeting the Corner
Photo courtesy Morphosis Drawing by Alissa Weaver
WHY
Mayne denies the corner, emphasizing the edge
HOW
Secondary structure is offset from corner Glass planes butt together at edge
The primary structure of fixed steel columns and beams is not tied to the curtain wall. The skin, a secondary structure, does not follow the rules of the primary structure. The curtain wall, as well as the interior partitions of the offices, is not bounded by the column grid. This attitude fits with Maynes denial of historic forms. The colonnade, palazzo, and cathedral met corner with solidity. Treating the corner as void, he separates his architecture from the ordered classical buildings and their contemporary counterparts. Although the structural column is located in the corner to prevent eccentric loading and maintain structural repetition, both the mullions and railing posts deny the corner. Silicon is used to join the two panes of glass, again, allowing Mayne to reveal the edge of the surface while maintaining the perception that the surface is continuous.
Construction: Meeting the Corner
21
WHY
Mayne emphasizes edge detailing Interior corner is void
In his essay Connected Isolation, Mayne states: A coherency of place (order) is lost as is the perceptibility of an edge or boundary. Although he speaks of the larger scale of cities, he alludes to the notion that, for him, showing the edge is hinting at the overall order of complex elements. If two differing materials met at a butt joint, one could infer that they are somehow equal in the architects eye. Mayne refuses to leave this up to the interpretation of a user.
HOW
Adjacent objects do not touch Fasteners are concealed
For Mayne, light and air rather than material and fastener are joint conditions. This separation between materials can exist because adjacent surfaces are not joined to each other, but instead, each is connected to a supporting structure, typically hidden one layer behind. The entire wall, a complex system of many surfaces, is treated in the same way as each individual surface, as is evidenced by the gap between the finished floor and the steel beam. This detail demonstrates that the system supports itself, but none of the gravity loads because the verticals never reach the ground.
Photo courtesy Centre Pompidou Drawings by Alissa Weaver
22
Construction: Handling Water
FO
RM
Photo courtesy Morphosis Drawings by Alissa Weaver
SO
HO RIZ ON TA LB AN
LID
DIN
PE
RF
OR
AT
ED
WHY
Rain is an infrequent occurrence
HOW
Scrim canopy shades pedestrians from sun, not rain
In Los Angeles, the average yearly rainfall is approximately fifteen inches; however, these data are skewed because the yearly rainfall has varied from thirty-seven inches in 2004-2005 to three inches in 2006-2007. In contrast, solar radiation is a prominent concern.
Although the structural column is located in the corner to prevent eccentric loading and maintain structural repetition, both the mullions and railing posts deny the corner. Silicon is used to join the two panes of glass, again, allowing Mayne to reveal the edge of the surface while maintaining the perception that the surface is continuous.
Construction: Handling Water
23
WHY
Mayne is infatuated with the glass box wrapped in a metal skin
As in many Morphosis projects, Thom Mayne designs a glass box covered by a technologically advanced skin. If he wanted the skin to be made of metal panels, he would need to somehow prevent water from penetrating between them. Because sealing the space between the exterior panels goes against his principles of revealing edges and defining surfaces, he requires a second barrier against weather: the glazed walls and ribbon windows. He then, abiding by his own principles, allows the space between the scrim skin and the building enclosure to be void, having no other choice but to leave it open to outside air.
Photo courtesy Morphosis Section courtesy Centre Pompidou
HOW
The curtain wall is the weather barrier The scrim is part of a shading system
The complex, active technology of a mechanical skin made of perforated aluminum panels shades the glass prism; however, this second skin is delaminated ten inches off the building faade, providing no protection from water. This ten-inch gap allows air to circulate within the system, keeping the glass and cement dry. In this system, the glass layer serves as the barrier between inside and outside, but the scrim layer acts as a radiation barrier, blocking sunlight during times of peak solar radiation. Because the actual envelope is shaded from the suns damaging rays, its water barriers are less likely to break down.
24
Construction: Meeting the Ground WHY

Mayne understands human scale Division of sequential outdoor experiences Skin escapes body
The vertical skin never allows its loads to reach the ground directly because it is a dependent structure, secondary to the primary steel frame contained within the glass box. It serves the pedestrians as an overhead boundary of the exterior spaces contained within the plaza. The fragments of skin, peeled away from the structure to which they cling, represent a common theme in Maynes buildings: one complex element that, by transforming spontaneously, mirrors human life and experience.
HOW
Skin folds to transition from vertical to horizontal
Responding to the scale of pedestrians below, the skin folds, continuing horizontally over pieces of the plaza. It hangs from the primary structure, transferring its loads through the columns and into the ground.
Image courtesy Centre Pompidou Drawings by Alissa Weaver
Construction: Meeting the Sky WHY

Intense solar radiation Because southern California has a sunny climate, shading is needed to mediate between the pedestrians and the sky. Recognizing a need to improve comfort, Mayne provides a canopy.
25
HOW
The skin provides shading layer at the plaza level
The vertical scrim on the building playfully folds to become the horizontal canopy. While the vertical skin provides shading for people within the building, the horizontal skin provides shading for people outside the building. However, people within the building view the outside world through the scrim; whereas, pedestrians at the plaza level look up through the scrim at the sky. The eye perceives the sky as continuous even though it can only see portions of the sky.
Images courtesy Centre Pompidou
26
Construction: Meeting the Sky WHY

Skin camouflages mechanical systems on roof Skin is secondary to structure
From the street view, the scrims bend camouflages the mechanical equipment on the roof while providing a wind-sheltered space with a constructed catwalk. This catwalk, used for maintenance, is supported by the primary steel structure, but attached to the secondary skin via the steel tubes. Thom Mayne demonstrates that the scrim is secondary to and separate from the structure, never allowing the skin to join with the enclosure envelope. The skin clads the body, but escapes from it. Practically, the scrim remains open to maintain the solar chimneys pressure differential.
HOW
Skin remains a separate, delaminated element
At the roof of the building, the glass box enclosure gives way to high albido roofing, turning the corner from vertical to horizontal. The scrim skin, kept stiff by structural steel elements, peels back from the faade, terminating in the sky while maintaining its dynamic characteristics.
Image courtesy Centre Pompidou Drawings by Alissa Weaver
27
Perforated aluminum panels
Steel frame holds panels in place
These tubes, round in cross-section, provide added stiffness at the skins folding points and attach the scrim to the primary structure
The structure handles the gravity and lateral loads of the catwalk
The occupiable roof and maintenance zones
28
Appendix: Works Consulted
29
Allen, Edward. Fundamentals of Building Construction: Materials and Methods. Hoboken, N.J: J. Wiley & Sons, 2004.
Ambrose, James, and Dimitry Vergun. Design for Earthquakes. New York: Wiley-VCH, 1999.
Caltrans District 7 - Thom Mayne Video. Perf. Thom Mayne. Morphopedia. 22 Feb. 2009. 10 Mar. 2009 <http://www.morphopedia.com/files/caltrans-district-7-thom-mayne-video>.
Centre Pompidou. Morphosis: Continuities of the Incomplete. Paris: Adagp, 2006.
DeSouza, Eugene, Andy Howard, and Teena Videriksen. "The Caltrans District 7 Headquarters, Los Angeles." Arup Journal 2 (2005): 52-59. Arup. 17 Mar. 2009 <http://www.arup.com/_assets/_download/ download388.pdf>.
Martini, Kirk. Frameworks for Lateral Loads. 29 Aug. 2007. University of Virginia School of Architecture. 17 Mar. 2009 <http://www.arch.virginia.edu/~km6e/arch721/content/lectures/lec-02/home.html>.
Kwok, Alison, and Walter Grondzik. The Green Studio Handbook : Environmental Strategies for Schematic Design. New York: Architectural P, 2006.
Mayne, Thom. Morphosis : 1998-2004. Minneapolis: Rizzoli International Publications, Incorporated, 2006.
Nevayl. 14 Nov. 2003. Caltrans. 22 Feb. 2009 <http://flickr.com/photos/nevayl/sets/72157594383506580/>.
"SunAngle." Sustainable by Design. Ed. Christopher Groneback. 2005. 22 Feb. 2009 <http://www.susdesign.com/sunangle/>.
Virji, Salim. Caltrans District HQ. 16 Jan. 2006. 22 Feb. 2008 <http://flickr.com/photos/salim/93641239/>.
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Appendix: Environmental Response Summary
Design Guidelines
Heat gain from equipment, lights, and occupants will greatly reduce heating needs so keep home tight, well insulated Glazing should minimize conductive loss and gain (minimize U- factor) because undesired radiation gain or loss has less impact in this climate Sunny wind-protected outdoor space can extend living areas in cool weather Tiles or slate (even on low mass wood floors) or a stone-faced fireplace can help store winter daytime solar gain and summer nighttime coolth For passive solar heating face most of the glass area south to maximize winter sun exposure, but design overhangs to fully shade in summer. This one of the more comfortable climates, so shade to prevent overheating, open to breezes in summer, and sue passive solar gain in winter Lower the indoor comfort temperature at night to reduce heating energy consumption (lower thermostat heating setback) Organize floorplan so winter sun penetrates into daytime use spaces with specific functions that coincide with solar orientation On hot days ceiling fans or indoor air motion can make it seem cooler by at least 5 degrees F thus less air conditioning is needed Trees should not be planted in front of passive solar windows, but rather beyond 45 degrees from each other Small well-insulated skylights (less than 3% of floor area in clear climates, 5% in overcast) reduce daytime lighting energy and cooling loads Window overhangs (designed for this latitude) or operable sunshades (extend in summer, retract in winter) can reduce or eliminate air conditioning Good natural ventilation can reduce or eliminate air conditioning in warm weather, if windows are well shaded and oriented to prevailing breezes Low pitched roof with wide overhangs works well in temperate climates Provide double pane high performance glazing (Low-E) on west, north, and east, but clear on south for maximum passive solar gain Traditional homes in temperate climates used light weight construction with slab on grade and openable walls and shaded outdoor spaces Traditional homes in cold climates had snug floorplan with central heat source, south facing windows, and roof pitched for wind protection Locate garages or storage areas on the side of the building facing the coldest wind to help insulate High Efficiency furnace (at least Energy Star) should prove cost effective Keep the building small (right-sized) because excessive floor area wastes heating and cooling energy
Utilized
NA YES YES NA YES YES NA YES NO NO NO YES NO NO YES
How
Scrim covers glazing on high impact facades Outdoor courtyard is protected by building mass
Vision glass is used on the sauth facade Scram panels shade the glass facade Light well brings sun into the buildings core
Scrim acts as shades on the north, east and west facade
Structurally glazed 1 insulated glass unit with low-e coating by PPG Industries
NA NA NO YES H
Design guidelines from Climate Consultant 4
SEC Tech CASE Study Information

23 Arch 667.07A
Student Team Michael Tyznik Alissa Weaver Building Facts Building Name Client City Lattitude Longitude Elevation 104' 118.4W 3493'05N Project Los Angeles California Transportation Authority Caltrans
Marcey Mankosa
Temperature
Jan 252 6 95 68 58 48 28 39
Feb 205 7 95 70 60 50 25 42
Mar 212 6 98 70 61 52 35 45
Apr 141 15 106 73 64 54 39 48
May 78 19 102 75 66 58 43 54
Jun 19 58 112 80 70 61 49 56
Jul 1 135 107 84 74 65 53 59
Aug 0 175 105 85 75 66 51 60
Sep 2 154 110 83 74 65 50 57
Oct 21 81 108 79 70 60 41 53
Nov 121 22 100 73 64 53 38 48
Dec 234 4 92 69 58 48 24 41
Year 1286 682
Sky Humidity
35 73.4 186 WSW
6 3.33 8.5 14.3 W 7 6 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 9 6 8 0 0 0 3 7 0 0 0 1 6 0 0 0
6 6 3 1 NA 1 NA 3.68 3.14 0.83 0.31 0.06 0.01 0.13 9 8.7 8.2 7.8 5.9 1.1 1.2 12.4 12.9 12 11.4 13.6 20.9 22.4 WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW 8 9 8 8 7 8 8 NA 6 0 0 0 NA 6 0 0 0 NA 7 0 0 0
1 0.32 3.3 18.4 W 7 1 9 0 0 0
2 0.37 5.6 16.1 W 8 2 10 0 0 0
3 1.05 6.1 16.5 W 7 4 11 0 0 0
5 1.91 8 15 W 6 5 11 0 0 0
Days Observed Wind
Normal Climate Data Heating Degree Days Cooling Degree Days Extreme High Normal High Normal Average Normal Low Extreme Low Dew Point Max %RH Min %RH % Days with Rain Rain Inches % Overcast Sky % Clear Days Prevailing Direction Speed, MPH Percent Calm Rain Fog Haze Snow Hail Freezing Rain
0 0 0
adapted from Integrated Buildings by Leonard Bachman
Building Facts Floor Area sq.ft/floor Occupant load Cost Program Site Description (acres?) Site Type urban, rural, etc Parking spaces # Building cost: $165 million - total project cost: $190 million To serve 1,850 Caltrans employees and 500 employees of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation 1.05 million square feet Urban 300,000 square feet - 1,142 vehicles
This area below is more descriptive in nature. Please identify system typologies when possible, and then identify specic material conditions.
Site
Project
750,000 square feet
Foundation type Gravity force systems type Lateral force systems type secondary structure/backup Glazing type, identify Skylights Envelope Structure
Below grade, reinforced concrete foundations work with steel braced frames to serve as shear walls and resist lateral l Structural steel framing, steel moment frames, steel reinforced concrete slabs
Clear tempered or laminated 1 insulated low-e coated units and 5/8 laminated units (glass size as large as 6-0 x 1 Light well above the lobby cuts through the center of the building, insulated low-e coated glass on painted aluminum f
Cladding type, identify Roof Other Daylighting Heating Cooling Equipment list Cooling system type HVAC HVAC Heating system type Duct Vertical Chases Special Features special features
yes/no yes/no
East and west facades are clad with a scrim -- perforated sheet metal punched with holes of various sizes powered to Torch applied modified bituminous roofing over rigid insulation with Energy Star coating
Reduce the heat load by shading from the opaque, monocrystalline BIPV cells, reducing infiltration, and promoting nat Thermal flues designed to keep the driver of conductive heat exchange close to the ambient air temperature
Passive Systems
The panels harvest solar energy and convert it to electricity during peak hours when providing significant energy savin
Water-cooled VFD centrifugal chillers, utilizing non-HCFC refrigerant Three equal-sized natural gas-fired boilers YES YES
Appendix: Data Summary
adapted from Integrated Buildings by Leonard Bachman
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CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSIS Marcey Mankosa Michael Tyznik Alissa Weaver

Project: The Basics

Project: The Basics

Name Firm Design Construction Client Program Size Cost

Project: The Architect

INTL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Project: The Architect

PROGRESSION FROM STREET, THROUGH PLAZA, INTO LIGHT CUBE

Project: The Client + Program

HIGHWAY INTERCHANGE MANAGED BY CALTRANS

WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL

CATHEDRAL OF OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS

Project: The Site

Site plan courtesy GA Document

Site model courtesy Centre Popmpidou

Integration: Environment + Construction

CONSTRUCTION The scrims construction is explained on page 23

SCRIM PANELING VARIABLES

Integration: Structures + Construction

for seismic loads are explained on page 18

UNITED STATES SEISMIC ACTIVITY

Photos courtesy Morphosis

MECHANIZED SCRIM PANELS

SCRIM OPENINGS AT VARIOUS LEVELS OF SUNLIGHT

SECTION OF PANEL OPENING MECHANISM

DIURNAL SUN/SHADE CYCLE OF LIGHT WELL

LIGHT WELL SECTION

Environment: Passive Heating + Cooling

Psychrometric charts from Climate Consultant 4

Environment: Passive Heating + Cooling

HEAT FLOW THROUGH THE SKIN CAVITY

summer hours. This has led to an energy Silver Rating.

SECTION THROUGH PV WALL

PHOTOVOLTAIC WALL CAVITY

Environment: Active Lighting

Environment: Active Heating + Cooling

fumes can enter the building.

Diagram by Marcey Mankosa

Structure: Gravity Loads

Photos courtesy A+U

SIMPLE STEEL FRAME IS SHOWN IN CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS

Diagram by Michael Tyznik Section courtesy GA Document

RIGID FRAME DEFORMATION UNDER GRAVITY LOADS

GRAVITY LOAD-CARRYING MEMBERS

Structure: Lateral Loads

LATERAL STRESS DEFORMATION

Rigid frame construction Lack of regular cross-bracing

Photo courtesy Nevayl via Flickr

RIGID FRAME: MAGIC BOX

Structure: Seismic Loads

Los Angeles is very seismically active IDENTIFICATION

EFFECT OF MOMENT ON A BEAM WITH DOGBONE CUT

Construction: Meeting the Ground

LIGHT WHERE ONE EXPECTS SOLIDITY

Photo courtesy Centre Pompidou Drawings by Alissa Weaver

Construction: Meeting the Corner

Photo courtesy Morphosis Drawing by Alissa Weaver

Construction: Meeting the Corner

Construction: Handling Water

Photo courtesy Morphosis Drawings by Alissa Weaver

Construction: Handling Water

Construction: Meeting the Ground WHY

Image courtesy Centre Pompidou Drawings by Alissa Weaver