2016 DCC Award Winner | Baker Concrete Construction, Ft. Lauderdale, FL | WOW! Winner

First Place: Architectural Cast-in-Place Concrete Structures / Over 5000 SF
First Place: Winners 2016

The Florida Polytechnic University IST building is a modern architectural marvel.  The innovative design in architectural concrete includes an elliptical-shaped structure highlighted with exposed concrete raker portals.

The first architectural concrete constructed on the Polytechnic building were retaining walls with integral concrete seating caps. These walls defined the building's perimeter from the reflection ponds. The architectural site seat walls not only separated the building from the adjacent reflection ponds, but also separated the reflection ponds across the entire site where they together totaled a mile in length.

The main building's architectural concrete began with 142 column portals spaced at eight feet on center in a curving layout, framing the endless hallway and supporting the second story of the building's perimeter. The shape of these portals required triangular bracing between two columns, using self­ consolidating concrete to monolithically pour. After column construction, the second-level elevated beams and slabs were completed and followed by the polished concrete ground floor slabs.

Lastly, the two main entrances then began architectural concrete with perimeter concrete columns connecting to each of the 16 unique raker portals. These portals support the roof and tie into an oval concrete skylight that illuminates the grand entry polished concrete stairs.