As part of a building’s exterior element, landscaped podiums or waterproofed plaza decks provide an aesthetically pleasing common space for the enjoyment of their users. In addition to providing much needed green spaces on concrete structures, podiums that incorporate large softscape areas aid in the building’s water management strategy by retaining and slowly releasing storm water during a heavy rain event.
Attic ventilation is a firmly established requirement for residential wood-framed buildings. Attic ventilation is cited to be a benefit for moisture control, reducing cooling loads in hot climates, minimizing ice dams in cold climates, and extending the service life of roof materials by reducing surface temperatures. There is an ongoing debate on the real significance of some of these benefits and mandatory venting requirements.
Nobody likes spending large sums of money on their assets when one or more building envelope assemblies have reached the end of their service life. Yet, major renewals are inevitable for long-term building assets.
The development of a seven-story office building with a four-story underground parking garage, located adjacent to the Alaskan Way viaduct just south of downtown Seattle posed unique challenges. The project was situated on a sensitive site with specific soil conditions and a high water table. The team identified early on the need to develop strategies to minimize the risks associated with the site conditions both during construction and over the long term. The site conditions along with the project requirements were all considered in the selection of the appropriate shoring system and waterproofing system for the structure.