Walk into any number of newer restaurants, breweries or offices, and you’re likely to see exposed structural beams. Exposed beams open up the interior of a building, creating a modern and industrial aesthetic. “The industrial look is very popular right now in many commercial spaces,” notes Steve Fellmeth, senior project designer at S3 Design Inc., Braintree, Mass.
Exposed metal beams provide modern architectural expression
Currently under construction, the new 71,000-square-foot FMC Natatorium at Ty Warner Park in Westmont, Ill., designed by Legat Architects, features an Olympic-size, 50-meter primary pool that exposes the metal structural system.
“Architecturally exposed structural steel can express the structural integrity of a building in a striking way and put the structural system at the aesthetic forefront,” says Brad Koning, executive director of project development and partner of Sketchworks Architecture LLC, Middleton, Wis.
In addition to aesthetic goals, exposing structural steel invites transparency into a space, while embracing the structural aspect of the building. Manuel Oncina, architect, president/principal designer at Manuel Oncina Architects Inc., La Jolla, Calif., says exposing steel framing provides honest architecture, teaches the public how buildings work and economizes by not covering a building up.
At Legat Architects’ Gurnee, Ill., studio, an exposed metal building structure painted bright white celebrates the systems and infrastructure that ceilings typically hide, while soft indirect light reduces glare and eye strain.
Open and Inviting Spaces
There are many reasons building owners are looking to do projects with exposed structural steel. Ted Haug, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, principal and chief creative office at Legat, Chicago, says that in addition to a lot of people really liking the aesthetic, exposing the structural steel creates a greater sense of space that you don’t really get when you have a lower drop ceiling.
As Haug notes, Legat used exposed metal framing in its own offices. “We took over a raw space that was unfinished, and it had exposed joists. If we would have put in a drop ceiling, the ceiling height would have been a bit lower, but if you expose the structure you get a sense of depth of the structure as being part of the space, which makes the whole space feel more open and loft like, which is a nice amenity to have. We painted the whole ceiling and structure white, added indirect lighting up and down, and it just creates a tremendous atmosphere that makes it feel much more open and more inviting.”
Another benefit to offices creating more open and inviting spaces is the possibility of attracting a younger generation of workers. “The younger workforce is more interested in a hip office environment, and having exposed steel structure gives you that feel of something new and fresh,” Haug says. “It’s a different way to approach it, and I think what you’ll see, especially in a lot of creative professions, is more of this type of expression because that’s the type of people they want to attract.”
“I personally love doing [exposed structural beams] because I think it gives a different feel to the space,” Haug adds. “I don’t want to call it a raw space, but it gives it a looser feel to the space, and that’s why you’re seeing it in a lot of hospitality environments, restaurants and food establishments.”
Stateline Distillery, Madison, Wis., was transformed from a former nickel plating facility. Designed by Sketchworks, the designers kept the original character of the old industrial building while incorporating modern trends.
An Exposed Canvas
By using exposed structural beams, architects and designers are drawing attention to the building itself. For example, using a pre-engineered metal building can provide architects with a function and cost-effective option, where the required heights and clear spans can be effectively achieved at a lower cost. In this case, Koning says using a pre-engineered metal building can provide a clean and efficient canvas as a structural element.
Using exposed structural steel can also be a cost-effective alternative to covering up the framing with drywall. Fellmeth notes that not having the added cost of a finished ceiling system can help reduce the cost of cutting in light, diffusers, etc.
Design benefits of using exposed steel include the expression and added detail of the building’s structure already within the project scope. “Exposed steel elements feature a higher degree of finish and are handled with a higher level of care during fabrication and erection,” Koning says. However, the challenge includes the craftsmanship of the connections, whether it be clean welding or bolted connections. “There is a difference in the design aesthetic with both methods,” he adds.
“Typically there are less interior finishes using exposed steel,” Koning explains, “but that doesn’t always mean less cost. Exposed steel provides an opportunity to provide an accent by painting the steel a color different than the adjacent wall finish.”
A recently completed north addition to the research and design department at Electronic Theatre Controls, Middleton, Wis., is highlighted by innovative features of re-purposed shipping containers, a full curtainwall and the “Bear Pit” atrium space.
Organization is Key
On the flip side, the challenges of using exposed structural steel in a project include keeping the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems organized so the interior looks clean. “Exposing the steel structures can be complex because it requires the trades to work together,” Oncina says. “The mechanical ducting requires more care; the electrical conduits that needs planning and great execution; the fire sprinkler system also needs coordination. All these systems that used to be installed without much planning other than the shortest run are now an integral part of the design.”
“When you do exposed ceilings,” Haug says, “you want them organized, and you want to be able to capitalize on the things that make them so successful, which are to give the space a sense of openness, give the sense of that extra height you gain by exposing the structural system, and the additional space between the structural elements.”
Another thing to be aware of when using exposed structural steel is whether local codes require fireproofing. “Spray fireproofing is something we’ve had to use frequently on exposed metal framing by code,” Fellmeth says. “It does affect the look of the finished product, which can be less desirable depending on how much fireproofing is required.”
While using exposed metal framing can be a cost-savings effort, Haug says it doesn’t always save money. “I believe you do save money, but not always. I believe the extra effort you have to put in, the extra effort by the contractors to install everything correctly because you can’t be sloppy when you’re going to see everything. You can’t have wires hanging, you can’t have pipes in the wrong place, you can’t have ductwork just haphazardly intersecting one another. What you see if what you get, so you have to be very, very careful.”
The award-winning Dancing Goat Distillery in Cambridge, Wis., was designed with a contemporary barn style in mind. The design made special use of reclaimed barn wood for the tasting bar and hand-foraged iron for bar stools.
Protecting the Steel
Koning says the key to any durable and long-lasting finish is proper preparation. “Typically the steel is already specified as primed by the manufacturer prior to arriving on-site. During construction the steel is scratched, etc. Proper cleaning of the steel is important with a degreaser, then primed and painted with the required finish for the project.”
When it comes to finishing the exposed metal, Oncina says it depends a lot on the local environment. For the Fallbrook Public Library, Fallbrook, Calif., which was constructed inland, he says there was no required extra painting. “In fact, we insisted on leaving the yellow markers made by the fabricators as a testament of their work,” Oncina explains. “Red oxide, however, is easily marred by handprints, so we instructed the contractor to paint the steel in a matching color to a height of 12 feet to take care of that.”
“In saline or other corrosive environments,” Oncina adds, “we normally follow a corrosion engineer’s advice, which usually recommends hot-dipped galvanizing or other special finish.”