Congress Commerce Center
2006 Tilt-Up Achievement Award Winner :: Distribution/Warehouse Division
Submitted by: Kenneth R. Carlson – Architect, P.A.
With the goal of designing and developing a mixed industrial/retail park that would meld into the urban fabric of the city, the design team was challenged to create an attractive building that would be the gateway to the downtown area from the west.
The planning department required that the building, which has more than 1,000 linear feet of road frontage, “have character and movement.” As such, the incorporation of towers, portals, arcades, bowed balconies, guard rails, sign panel inserts, applied cantilevered panels, and a variation of recessed elements and shapes allowed for the development of the building’s character. The towers, bowed balconies, medallions, Bahamas shutters and large stand-off Tilt-Up panels creating a covered arcade invite the public to shop while they are sheltered from the sun and elements.
Tilt-Up was selected for this project because the multiple repetitive shapes and patterns used in the design allowed for consistency of design and construction methodology throughout the seven buildings. Tilt-Up also provided durability as well as crisp edges and smooth panel faces.
To take emphasis off the building’s immense length, towers and portals with unique reveal patterns were used to accentuate the building’s verticality. The bold color scheme combined with the architectural elements creates the movement in the building’s façades. Further, the bowed balconies, deep reveals and sun shading devices add the drama to the design that was desired by both the owner and the city.
Cantilevered panels create a three-dimensional parapet along the main façade, and secondary entrances were given similar emphasis via “tongue and groove” type panels along the parapet.
Ninety percent leased prior to the completion of construction, the project has received numerous awards including the Gold Coast Builders Association 2005 PRISM Gold Award for Architecture for a Commercial Project and the City of Delray Beach Community Appearance Award for Best New Industrial Development 2004.
The buildings are being used as a guideline for future Tilt-Up commercial and industrial projects in the city.
TCA Member Participants
- Woodland Construction (Jupiter, Florida)
- Role: Tilt-Up Contractor
- Kenneth R. Carlson – Architect, P.A. (Deerfield Beach, Florida)
- Role: Architect
- Johnson Structural Group (Deerfield Beach, Florida)
- Role: Engineer
- Meadow Burke (Tampa, Florida)
- Products: Lifting Hardware
- Nox-Crete Products Group (Omaha, Nebraska)
- Products: Bond Breaker, Form Release
The purpose of the TCA Awards Program is to recognize outstanding site cast Tilt-Up structures and advances in technology, products and methods used in the Tilt-Up industry. For more information on the program, submittal requirements and deadline dates, please refer to the awards submittal information page.
If you have further questions, please contact Jim Baty by email or by phone at (319) 895-6911.
