Keast & Hood used carbon fiber reinforced polymers in its structural design strategy for the new UN Foundation DC headquarters.

The new United Nations Foundation office features flexible, highly collaborative spaces in a “vertical village” arrangement. The design accentuates openness and accessibility, while fostering creative exchange of ideas. Keast & Hood provided structural engineering for the 95,000-sf interior renovation over four levels. The scope supported the vertical village concept and included careful removal of existing slabs requiring complex strengthening of the existing floor structure, detailing for operable glass partitions, custom architectural features, and a new signature staircase connecting three floor levels.

The structural solution used carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) to reinforce the existing structure while maintaining tight floor-to-floor heights with no visible structural intervention; the externally bonded CFRP provide significant strength with minimal added structure. Non-destructive X-ray and ground penetrating radar testing helped engineers locate and confirm all existing reinforcing and to identify floor slab voids from an abandoned internal duct system, enabling them to precisely position the CFRP and distribute loads from the new stair. Core sampling was employed to confirm concrete compressive strength necessary for analysis of the new bonded CFRP system. Extensive collaboration between the design team, structural engineers, and specialty contractors achieved an economical design while maintaining the desired aesthetic and structural integrity.

Keast & Hood used carbon fiber reinforced polymers in its structural design strategy for the new UN Foundation DC headquarters.

The new United Nations Foundation office features flexible, highly collaborative spaces in a “vertical village” arrangement. The design accentuates openness and accessibility, while fostering creative exchange of ideas. Keast & Hood provided structural engineering for the 95,000-sf interior renovation over four levels. The scope supported the vertical village concept and included careful removal of existing slabs requiring complex strengthening of the existing floor structure, detailing for operable glass partitions, custom architectural features, and a new signature staircase connecting three floor levels.

The structural solution used carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) to reinforce the existing structure while maintaining tight floor-to-floor heights with no visible structural intervention; the externally bonded CFRP provide significant strength with minimal added structure. Non-destructive X-ray and ground penetrating radar testing helped engineers locate and confirm all existing reinforcing and to identify floor slab voids from an abandoned internal duct system, enabling them to precisely position the CFRP and distribute loads from the new stair. Core sampling was employed to confirm concrete compressive strength necessary for analysis of the new bonded CFRP system. Extensive collaboration between the design team, structural engineers, and specialty contractors achieved an economical design while maintaining the desired aesthetic and structural integrity.

CLIENT: STUDIOS Architecture
LOCATION: Washington, DC

TYPE: Commercial, SERVICES: Renovation, MATERIALS: Concrete, SUSTAINABILITY: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Completed project photography © Eric Taylor