Two Thornton Tomasetti projects win NCSEA’s 2011 Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards

Two projects for which Thornton Tomasetti provided structural engineering services, Altra Sede Regione Lombardia and Bank of Oklahoma (BOK) Center, have been named award winners by the National Council of Structural Engineers Association for its 2011 Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards. Thornton Tomasetti was recognized at NCSEA’s 19th Annual Conference, Oct. 20 – 22 at the Renaissance Oklahoma City Convention Center.

Key points:

Altra Sede Regione Lombardia is an iconic five-building,1.05-million-sf headquarters property for the Lombardy Regional Government in Milan, Italy. It includes a 43-story, 405,000-sf tower, three below grade parking/storage levels and a plaza. It was designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners Architects LLP
A large piazza in the center of the Altra Sede Regione Lombardia site is enclosed by the surrounding low-rise buildings and tower. The piazza roof is covered by a tubular lamella structure spanning 140 meters by 45 meters and clad in an extremely light pillow membrane system
Grand entrances to the piazza are created by open double-height ground-floor areas and multiple column transfers. The enclosure of the building is a highly innovative and efficient double-layer glass curtain wall
The Bank of Oklahoma Center, located in the heart of Tulsa, Okla., is a multi-purpose convention facility that can accommodate concerts, hockey, arena football, NCAA tournaments and other large public events. The 600,000-sf facility, designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects (associate architect) and Matrix*Odell (construction architect), is an icon for Tulsa, serving not only as a premiere events venue, but also as a singular destination. The facility’s design utilizes the sun’s rays through the glass wall during the daytime. The same glass wall wraps around the southern half of the arena to welcome visitors by creating a unique gathering space. BD+C

An interesting experiment is taking place in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, where, for the last year or so, its 430,000 residents have been able to ride the city’s transit lines practically for free. City officials hope to pump up ridership by 20%, cut carbon emissions, and give low-income Tallinnites greater access to job opportunities. But is it working?

| Mar 26, 2014

Callison launches sustainable design tool with 84 proven strategies

Hybrid ventilation, nighttime cooling, and fuel cell technology are among the dozens of sustainable design techniques profiled by Callison on its new website, Matrix.Callison.com.