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TRANSCRIPT
1CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver Table of Contents
PROJECTThe Basics
The Architect
The Client
The Site
INTEGRATIONEnvironment + Construction
Structure + Construction
ENVIRONMENTDaylighting
Passive Heating + Cooling
Active Lighting
Active Heating + Cooling
STRUCTUREGravity Loads
Lateral Loads
Seismic Loads
CONSTRUCTIONMeeting the Ground
Meeting the Corner
Handling Water
Meeting the Ground + Sky
Meeting the Sky
Appendix
2
4
6
7
8
9
10
12
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
22
24
26
29
CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver2 Project: The Basics
3CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver Project: The Basics
Name Caltrans District 7 Headquarters
Firm Morphosis
Design 2001–2004
Construction 2002–2004
Client State of California, Dept. of General Services
Program Governmental offices
Size 2.1m gross ft², 13 stories
Cost $190m
CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver4 Project: The Architect
WHY
• Interested in experimental design
• Believes life has an order too complex to observe
• Lived in a dorm with skip-stop elevators
• Interested in connection, complexity, and continuity
Thom Mayne was born in Connecticut in 1944. When he
was a teenager, he and his family moved to Los Angeles. He
completed his Bachelor of Architecture at the University of
Southern California in 1968. Mayne founded Morphosis in
1972, professing interest in experimental design and thor-
ough research. Denouncing the notion that architecture lies
in the forms of the past, Mayne sought a new architecture
based on order as a necessary social condition, stressing
that the complexity of the human interactions found in
everyday life is not disordered or chaotic, but merely too
complex to understand without investigation.
He returned to Harvard University to complete a gradu-
ate degree. While living in the graduate student housing at
Peabody Terrace, Mayne was introduced to the skip-stop
elevator – an elevator that stops on every few floors, re-
quiring residents to take the stairs between these eleva-
tor landings – a theme prevalent in Mayne’s architecture.
Mayne graduated with a Master of Architecture from
Harvard University in 1978. He is a founder of SCI-Arc and
an active academic, teaching and participating in design
juries at numerous institutions and universities.
“What is ironic in a time of unprecedented ad-
vancement in scientific and technological inven-
tions is the reactionary and superficial appropria-
tion of historical forms.”
“It is embracing hazard, nurturing an eye for the idiosyn-
cratic, the phrases left unspoken, the unfinished – that
allows us to utilize the potentiality of our cities. Our
work is defined by its occupation of space and by the
presence of the object(s). It is about the techniques of
construction which provide for a frame of reference be-
yond beauty and history.”
“That we are frightened of our world and
see it as threatening is made abundantly
clear by reviewing the plethora of archi-
tectural projects which have been realized
to create an ersatz cultural experience.
What is revealed in these schemes is a
deep poverty of the imagination which is
founded on a superficial understanding of
what it is that gives life to a city.”
“[...]ordered systems arise spontaneously out of
conditions that look chaotic, but which really harbour
hidden ordering principles. The true revelation of
chaos studies is not that order appears out of real
chaos, but that some systems which appear chaotic
are actually just complex systems.”
“It is the ability to absorb the
idiosyncratic which, in the
end, gives the work its energy,
immediacy and life.”
Photo courtesy Princeton University
Photos courtesy Morphosis
SAN FRANCISCO FEDERAL BLDGUNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI REC CENTER
HYPO ALPE-ADRIA CENTER
INT’L ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
5CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver Project: The Architect
HOW
• Complex systems of layers form the building’s envelope
• Skip-stop elevator system is employed
• Both skin and ground plane are continuous and connective
Mayne uses layers to create a symbiotic system for the building envelope, which
effectively performs more tasks than simple economy demands. The exterior not
only provides the residents with dry, usable space, but it also shades and, there-
fore, cools the building, employing several environmental strategies. In addition,
the skin converts sunlight into energy and transforms what would be a monolith-
ic glass prism into a dynamic volume.
Mayne’s personal experience with certain functional design decisions appear in
the building. A skip-stop elevator system is central to the function of the building,
as it is in many of his designs. Similarly, his experience using mechanized perfo-
rated metal panels in several other works led to their use in this project.
The building surfaces are continuous from top to bottom, despite the skin’s vari-
ous folds and additions of operable and fixed panels. Also, the pedestrian who
visits Caltrans finds a continuity throughout the urban fabric as he progresses
through several outdoor “rooms” created by the shading scrim overhead. The
series of open spaces progresses from outside in the plaza near the street, into a
second volume, bounded by the scrim canopy on one side and the building on the
other, followed by the most interior of the exterior spaces, where the light instal-
lation flashes like the movement of a car.
His belief “that ordered systems arise spontaneously out of conditions that look
chaotic, but which really harbour hidden ordering principles” leads him to cre-
ate architecture that helps people feel motion. People relate to ordered, classi-
cal buildings because they feel comfortable with the traditional and static form;
however, in Mayne’s buildings, a person is engaged with transitional layers, each
thinner than the next, attached imperceptibly to unseen bones of structure. The
CalTrans building is no exception to this: the skin escapes from the body just
before it would reach its natural terminus in the ground. What man expects to
be solid (architecture) is, in reality, porous and thin a series of delicate elements
separated by voids.
CO
NN
EC
TIV
ITY
SK
IP-S
TO
P E
LE
VA
TO
RS
CO
NT
INU
ITY
PROGRESSION FROM STREET, THROUGH PLAZA, INTO LIGHT CUBE
THE UNDULATING SKIN IS ONE CONTINUOUS SURFACE FROM GROUND TO SKY ELEVATOR LOBBIES
Photos courtesy Architectural Record and Knowlton School of Architecture
CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver6
HOW
• Environmental responsibility
• Publicity of building
Caltrans is the moniker for California’s State Department
of Transportation. When the agency wanted to build a new
headquarters, they needed space for 1,850 Caltrans employ-
ees, as well as 500 Los Angeles Department of Transporta-
tion employees. In addition to basic office space, they re-
quired an exhibition space, retail, a cafeteria, a warehouse,
an autoshop and autoshop yard, a day care center, a confer-
ence center, a wellness center, and a public plaza.
The State of California has a commitment to creativity,
environmental sensitivity and design excellence in public
architecture. They also recognized that the building would
be part of a large fabric of public spaces in Los Angeles and
needed to function as such.
• Designed based on highway metaphor
• Design affected by Caltrans’s effect on LA
Thom Mayne designed a building for CalTrans based on the metaphors
of a Los Angeles that was defined by the actions of CalTrans itself as it
built the city’s infrastructure over the past century. Mayne expressed,
despite the blight of downtown Los Angeles, an optimism for the fu-
ture. The building came at what Mayne referred to as a “lovely time”
because Gehry’s Disney Concert Hall, Moneo’s Cathedral, the expansion
of Gehry’s 1979 Children’s Museum, and the new courthouse all made
improvements to the fabric of downtown L.A. In his mind, these projects
begin to anticipate the L.A. of the future. The specific project deals with
the demands of: 1) urbanism – 2) environment – 3) office culture — in
Gestalt unity & symbiotic relationship. The client had an insistence on
quality that Mayne found influential.
Project: The Client + Program
Photo courtesy So Cal Metro via FlickrPhotos courtesy Carol Highsmith and Dmitri76 via Flickr
Sketch courtesy Frank O. Gehry
WHY
HIGHWAY INTERCHANGE MANAGED BY CALTRANSCATHEDRAL OF OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS
LOS ANGELES CHILDRENS’ MUSEUM
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
Quotes in a Caltrans
speech bubble like this
are comments from Dun-
can McIntosh, Deputy
District Director of Ad-
ministration for Caltrans
District 7.
7CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver
HOW
• Many public spaces
• Focus on vanity and publicity
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United
States. The urban environment of Los Angeles
contains many public spaces. One reason for this is
the difficulty and expense of providing water infra-
structure to developments, which leads to buildings
being grouped in clusters. Another reason for the
multiple public spaces stems back to when Los
Angeles was made of several neighborhoods, each
with its own public gathering space. As the home
of Hollywood, Los Angeles is filled with young ac-
tors, actresses, singers, and comedians who are
trying to catch their big break. Hollywood offers
more than vanity; the “HOLLYWOOD” sign
alone is an American icon. The motion
picture and entertainment indus-
tries call this city home, as do
the 12.9 million residents,
only 1.7 million of which
use public transpor-
tation on a daily
basis.
• Visual connection to surroundings
• Local construction techniques
• Thin construction echoes vanity
• Public plaza links into network of public spaces
When one is in the public spaces adjacent to Caltrans, he is visually
connected to the fabric of L.A., namely the courthouse building located a
mere block away. Mayne connects the structure and construction of the
building with devices employed in the urban landscape of Los Angeles.
The ideas of surface and thin construction relate metaphorically to the
L.A. mentality of vanity and appearances. The bold “100” on the side of
the building echoes the iconography of numbers and billboards. The
lights of the art installation in the public space mirror the lights of the
myriad of cars that speed through the city on any given day. The expan-
sive public plaza, a construct seen repeatedly throughout L.A., speaks of
the seemingly idyllic climate of southern California. The concrete play-
ground, a magnet for skateboarders, speaks of the social climate of L.A.
Project: The Site
Site plan courtesy GA Document
Site model courtesy Centre Popmpidou
WHY
CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver8 Integration: Environment + Construction
HOW
• Complex scrim skin for aesthetics and daylighting control
• Quick construction was necessary
Most of the exterior of the Caltrans building is enveloped in a second skin composed of
perforated metal scrim panels. These serve an environmental purpose vital to the perfor-
mance of the building, but required an intelligent design so as not to be extremely dif-
ficult to construct. The ease with which the scrim could be installed is demonstrated by
the fact that the entire scrim façade was installed in a short period by only six workers,
who were trained to do that specific task.
The scrim’s daylighting pur-
pose and performance is ex-
plained on page 10
The scrim’s construction is
explained on page 23
Diagram courtesy Centre PompidouPhotos courtesy Carol Highsmith and Dmitri76 via Flickr
Sketch courtesy Frank O. Gehry
WHY
SCRIM PANELING VARIABLES
DAYLIGHTING
CONSTRUCTION
9CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver
HOW
• Los Angeles is in the most active seismic region in the US
Because Caltrans was built in such an earthquake-prone region, it was important that
it be as safe in an earthquake as possible. This means the building was designed so that,
even though its finishes may be damaged, it should never collapse due to seismic forces.
Any building’s earthquake resistance is determined both by its structure—the pieces
that hold the building up—and its construction—how those pieces are all put together.
The structure’s considerations
for seismic loads are explained
on page 18
The construction’s consider-
ations for seismic conditions
are explained on page 24
Diagram courtesy James Ambrose Photo courtesy Architectural RecordRendering courtesy Edward Allen
WHY
UNITED STATES SEISMIC ACTIVITY
SEISMIC LOADS
CONSTRUCTION
Integration: Structures + Construction
CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver10 Environment: Daylighting
WHY
NORTH FAÇADEEAST FAÇADE
SOUTH FAÇADE WEST FAÇADE
“We can see day light from even the most interior
locations on 12 of our 13 floors. There is an Atri-
um light-well that transcends the center of the
building that provides light. It does not have the
scrim like the exterior facade. It is nice because
you can view employees walking about on other
interior floors as well as adjacent hallways.”
• Daylighting and outdoor views increase productivity
• Too many windows would cause too much heat gain
In an office environment, a suitable amount of daylighting
(enough to work by but not so much that glare is a problem)
is beneficial to both the employer and the workers. Having
access to daylight, as well as views to the outdoors, in-
creases employees’ morale, which in turn increases produc-
tivity.
In order to maximize these factors, the building was de-
signed to be a long narrow bar with copious amounts of
glass curtain wall on all four sides. With such extensive
curtain walls, heat gain becomes a primary issue.
Photos courtesy Morphosis
11CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver Environment: Daylighting
LIGHT WELL SECTION
21 DEC
21 JUN
DIURNAL SUN/SHADE CYCLE OF LIGHT WELL
10A
10A
11A
11A
12P
12P
1P
1P
2P
2P
3P
3P
SCRIM OPENINGS AT VARIOUS LEVELS OF SUNLIGHT
ME
CH
AN
IZE
D S
CR
IM P
AN
EL
S
CE
NT
RA
L L
IGH
T W
EL
L
SECTION OF PANELOPENING MECHANISM
• Mechanized scrim panels to optimize amount of sunlight and views
• Panels are not entirely effective at regulating daylighting
• Central light well provides additional daylighting into core of building
In order to gain views outside from as many spaces as possible, Morphosis chose to wrap
almost the entire building in either glass curtain wall or continuous ribbon windows.
This amount of glazing necessitated a shading device to mitigate heat gain and keep day-
light from overpowering spaces inside. The solution Morphosis chose was to cover both
the east and west façades, which had the harshest sunlight, with a wall of perforated
metal scrim. These panels vary in perforation to provide different levels of daylighting
into different spaces, as well as varying levels of visibility to the outside. Certain panels
are mechanized and respond to changes in sun intensity and weather conditions, opening
up when the sunlight is less intense to provide a clearer view to the outside. The param-
eters by which these panels are programmed vary, which makes them move individually,
rather than in unison. The effect is that the façade rarely looks the same twice.
Morphosis assumed in designing the scrim that it would provide sufficient shading
against harsh solar radiation, but the occupants of the building found that more horizon-
tal sunlight, especially in the winter months, penetrates straight through the scrim. This
necessitated the installation of shades on the interior of the building.
The floor plates are shallow enough that daylight can reach almost every space, but Mor-
phosis also designed a light well central to the building that extends all the way down
over the building’s entrance. The well was designed both to bring an additional amount
of daylighting into the building, as well as to provide views from one interior space to
another. Sun only reaches the bottom of the well on the summer solstice.
HOW
“The initial design of the building did not have interior
window shades included. We found after we moved in the
early morning and late sun was too bright and need to be
buffered further using roll down window shades.”
Opening diagram courtesy A+UOther diagrams by Marcey Mankosa and Michael Tyznik
CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver12 Environment: Passive Heating + Cooling
WHY
• Passive heating and cooling are effective 74.2% of the year
• Conventional air conditioning and heating are rarely needed
The psychrometric chart for Los Angeles indicates that passive heating and
cooling strategies can be effective to keep a building in this climate com-
fortable for 74.2% of the year.
According to the psychrometric chart, conventional air conditioning is never
needed to keep the building cool, if the appropriate passive strategies are
utilized. Conventional heating is rarely needed. In January, conventional
heating is needed 56% of the time, but most of that time is during the part
of the day an office building would be unoccupied. This means that, in the
Los Angeles climate, a successfully designed building can use an extremely
small amount of energy to keep its occupants comfortable.
Psychrometric charts from Climate Consultant 4
13CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver Environment: Passive Heating + Cooling
• Scrim creates second skin, causing a solar chimney effect
• Southern PV panels act as sun louvers
• High-performance glass is used
• Building still dependent upon active systems
The building was designed with broad east and west façades, which have the potential
for a very high amount of solar heat gain. The effects of this heat were mitigated by the
design of the second skin, which acts as a solar chimney. Acting in response to the posi-
tion of the sun, certain panels of the scrim skin open mechanically to facilitate airflow
into the cavity between the skin. Air within the cavity is further heated by the sun, caus-
ing it to rise. The height of the building creates enough temperature difference to create
the airflow required to keep the glazing cool, which helps keep the interior of the build-
ing cool.
On the south façade, there is no second skin. Instead, an open lattice framework replaces
the scrim and supports a 14,000 ft² array of photovoltaic panels. The panels’ spacing and
angle (five feet apart at 50º off the horizontal) optimize views out of the building as well
as the amount of solar radiation that hits them. This also means the amount of direct
sunlight blocked from entering the building by the panel system is optimized.
The building’s vision glass was chosen because of its exceptional Light to Solar Gain
(LSG) ratio of 1.85. PPG’s Solarban 60 Solar Control Low-E glass has an appearance simi-
lar to clear, uncoated glass, but a SHGC of .38, meaning it blocks 62% of solar energy from
entering the building, while still allowing 70% of visible light to pass through. The glass
is also an excellent insulator, with a .29 winter nighttime U-value.
Even with these passive systems, it is difficult for an office building of this size to be
completely independent of active systems. Some conventional heating and cooling are
needed.
HOW
Diagrams by Marcey MankosaSection courtesy Centre Pompidou
DO
UB
LE
SK
IN
PH
OT
OV
OL
TA
IC W
AL
L
HEAT FLOW THROUGH THE SKIN CAVITY
PHOTOVOLTAIC WALL CAVITYSECTION THROUGH PV WALL
“The cells, which extend from the fourth to the thirteenth
floors, generate approximately 5% of the building's energy
while shielding the facade from direct sunlight during peak
summer hours. This has led to an energy Silver Rating.”
CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver14 Environment: Active Lighting
WHY
HOW
• Daylighting is not sufficient in all spaces for all tasks
• Minimize environmental impact of lighting
The daylighting systems in Caltrans do not provide the correct
lighting situation for all tasks at all times of day, so synthetic
lighting was also designed into the building. Morphosis and
Caltrans still wanted the lighting systems to have a minimal
impact on the building’s energy consumption.
• Efficient fluorescent lamps
• Central and local intelligent control
Office spaces within the building are provided with both
direct and indirect synthetic lighting, utilizing energy-ef-
ficient fluorescent lamps. Energy savings are compounded
by the use of intelligent control, both at the local level
and via a central system. Each cubicle has motion sensors
which detect at a granular level when a space is not being
used and adjust the lighting accordingly. These systems
are all coordinated by a central lighting control system,
which can adjust overall lighting levels in a diurnal cycle,
as well as based on the amount of ambient light being pro-
vided by the sun.
“Another form of energy performance is the
installation of light sensors in each cubicle.”
Photos courtesy Architectural Record
15CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver Environment: Active Heating + Cooling
WHY
HOW
• Passive heating and cooling are not sufficient
The passive systems Morphosis designed into the Caltrans
building reduce the building’s dependency on conventional
heating and cooling systems by a large degree, but they are
not entirely sufficient to remove the need for active sys-
tems.
• Three VFD chillers
• Three gas-fired boilers
The building is cooled by three water-cooled VFD centrifu-
gal chillers, utilizing non-HCFC refrigerant. One chiller is
sized to handle the base cooling load, while the other two
are sized to handle 50% of the peak cooling load. The chill-
ers are in a basement mechanical equipment room, served
by four open-cell, induced-draft cooling towers of equal
size for heat rejection.
Three equal-sized natural gas-fired boilers located in a
basement level mechanical equipment room are required
to heat the building. The flue gases are discharged into a
common header flue that runs up a dedicated riser shaft to
vent at roof level, 14 floors up. These boilers supply 150% of
the building’s heating load.
“We close the ventilation damp-
ers when we use our Helipad,
otherwise the helicopter exhaust
fumes can enter the building.”
Diagram by Marcey Mankosa
CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver16 Structure: Gravity Loads
WHY
HOW
• Simplicity was necessary
• Project had a limited budget and timeframe
• Building actually built on-time and on-budget
Both Morphosis and Caltrans were determined to get the build-
ing designed and built within the limited timeframe they were
given to do so, but their budget was limited. This necessitated
simplicity in the structural system.
• Simple steel frame with fixed connections
• Columns rest below basement on pads
• Construction started before design was complete
The building has relatively simple and regular gravity loads,
so the solution to getting the building built so quickly was
to use an extremely simple steel frame structure. The con-
crete slabs transfer their gravity load to beams, which have
a fixed connection to transfer their moment to the columns,
as evidenced by the “magic box” in construction photos. The
columns rest on individual pad foundations, as shown in
sections of the building, while the basements act as rafts to
support their own weight. This structure was designed first
and construction of it began as the rest of the building and
its systems were being designed.
Diagram by Michael TyznikSection courtesy GA Document
(Hypothesis)
(Conjecture)
CO
NS
TR
UC
TIO
N T
IME
LA
PS
E
IDE
NT
IFIC
AT
ION
Photos courtesy A+U
GRAVITY LOAD-CARRYING MEMBERS
RIGID FRAME DEFORMATION UNDER GRAVITY LOADS
SIMPLE STEEL FRAME IS SHOWN IN CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS
17CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver Structure: Lateral Loads
WHY
HOW
• Ease of construction
• Conservation of materials
• Unobstructed ribbon windows
• Building is mid-rise with relatively minimal lateral loads
In the design of the building’s lateral load-carrying structure, time and money were once
again a major factor. This meant designing a structure that was easy and quick to con-
struct, without increasing costs. The design also called for large, unobstructed expanses
of glass, so reducing cross-bracing was important. These concerns were able to be re-
solved relatively easily, because the building is mid-rise, and has far less intense lateral
loads than a taller building would.
• Rigid frame construction
• Lack of regular cross-bracing
Because of the minimal lateral loads to the building, only a small amount of resistance
to them had to be designed. To ease construction, it was important that a conventional
structural system be used. The rigid frame construction chosen, while providing much
less lateral rigidity than a braced frame would, is sufficient for the mid-rise lateral
loads, while providing a major benefit. Because there is no cross-bracing, as evidenced
in construction photos, there can be much larger unobstructed spans of glass.
The rigid frame of the building transfers moment induced by the wind into the neigh-
boring members, meaning that the moment is spread out over entire members, rather
than being concentrated at connections and causing those connections to fail.
Photo courtesy Nevayl via Flickr IDE
NT
IFIC
AT
ION
RIGID FRAME: “MAGIC BOX”NO CROSS-BRACING
(Hypothesis)
(Conjecture)
Diagrams courtesy Kirk Martini RIGID FRAMEBRACED FRAME
LA
TE
RA
L S
TR
ES
S D
EF
OR
MA
TIO
N
“One interesting phenomenon
happens when the wind
blows. The scrim sings, quite
noticeably. It is like when you
blow into a bottle.”
CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver18 Structure: Seismic Loads
WHY
HOW
• Los Angeles is very seismically active
The area around Los Angeles is the most seismically active in
the country. Buildings in the area must adhere to strict seismic
regulations, and Caltrans was no different.
• Rigid frame counteracts seismic forces
• Dogbone cuts ensure failure in beam rather than connection
Several methods were used to make the building seismically sound. The main
method used was, again, the rigid frame, which, in and of itself, is very resistant
to seismic damage.
Braced frames have bad ductility characteristics under cyclic loading, which
is important for seismic design. Braced frames lose strength and stiffness
after the braces buckle. —Martini
Rigid frames, however, have good ductility characteristics, meaning they can bend
in an earthquake without breaking. Because they are not dependent upon braces,
they can have some members buckle and still retain their strength. This leads to
the next method of seismic protection: dogbone cuts. The strength of a moment
frame is entirely dependent upon its fixed connections. Dogbone cuts are parts of
the beam near the ends where the flanges narrow. Under moment stress, the beam
will fail here, preventing failure at the connection point. The building is designed
such that in a catastrophic earthquake, although the finishes might crack or
break, the structure of the building will not collapse.
Diagrams by Michael TyznikPhoto courtesy Nevayl via Flickr
(Hypothesis)
(Conjecture)
IDE
NT
IFIC
AT
ION
DO
GB
ON
E C
UT
EFFECT OF MOMENT ON A NORMAL BEAM AT A FIXED CONNECTION
EFFECT OF MOMENT ON A BEAM WITH DOGBONE CUT
19CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver
WHY HOW
• The building is ON the ground
Caltrans rests on the ground as opposed to being in or of the ground. Because
Mayne feels that the connection of building to pedestrians is important, he allows
them to approach on grade. Rather than leading pedestrians under his build-
ing into the ground, he leads them through a progression of outdoor rooms, from
light to dark, into his building. Because his building lacks the solidity of histori-
cal forms, it seems to float lightly on the landscape.
• The building meets the ground with reveals
Mayne cuts the reveal where materials meet the ground to show their edge, in an
attempt to define a boundary between the building and the ground. Practically,
this detail also serves a maintenance condition. Any dirt that accumulates at the
ground plane can be hidden by the shadow of the outermost surface.
Construction: Meeting the Ground
REVEAL
REVEAL
LIGHT WHERE ONE
EXPECTS SOLIDITY
Photo courtesy Centre PompidouDrawings by Alissa Weaver
CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver20 Construction: Meeting the Corner
WHY HOW
• Mayne denies the corner, emphasizing the edge
The primary structure of fixed steel columns and beams is not tied to the curtain wall. The
skin, a secondary structure, does not follow the rules of the primary structure. The curtain
wall, as well as the interior partitions of the offices, is not bounded by the column grid.
This attitude fits with Mayne’s denial of historic forms. The colonnade, palazzo, and cathe-
dral met corner with solidity. Treating the corner as void, he separates his architecture from
the ordered classical buildings and their contemporary counterparts.
• Secondary structure is offset from corner
• Glass planes butt together at edge
Although the structural column is located in the corner to prevent eccentric load-
ing and maintain structural repetition, both the mullions and railing posts deny
the corner. Silicon is used to join the two panes of glass, again, allowing Mayne to
reveal the edge of the surface while maintaining the perception that the surface is
continuous.
Photo courtesy MorphosisDrawing by Alissa Weaver
21CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver Construction: Meeting the Corner
WHY
HOW
• Mayne emphasizes edge detailing
• Interior corner is void
In his essay Connected Isolation, Mayne states: “A
coherency of place (order) is lost as is the percepti-
bility of an edge or boundary.” Although he speaks
of the larger scale of cities, he alludes to the notion
that, for him, showing the edge is hinting at the
overall order of complex elements. If two differ-
ing materials met at a butt joint, one could infer
that they are somehow equal in the architect’s eye.
Mayne refuses to leave this up to the interpretation
of a user.
• Adjacent objects do not touch
• Fasteners are concealed
For Mayne, light and air rather than material and
fastener are joint conditions. This separation be-
tween materials can exist because adjacent surfac-
es are not joined to each other, but instead, each is
connected to a supporting structure, typically hid-
den one layer behind. The entire wall, a complex
system of many surfaces, is treated in the same
way as each individual surface, as is evidenced by
the gap between the finished floor and the steel
beam. This detail demonstrates that the system
supports itself, but none of the gravity loads be-
cause the verticals never reach the ground.
Photo courtesy Centre PompidouDrawings by Alissa Weaver
CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver22
WHY HOW
• Rain is an infrequent occurrence
In Los Angeles, the average yearly rainfall is approximately fifteen inch-
es; however, these data are skewed because the yearly rainfall has varied
from thirty-seven inches in 2004-2005 to three inches in 2006-2007. In
contrast, solar radiation is a prominent concern.
• Scrim canopy shades pedestrians from sun, not rain
Although the structural column is located in the corner to prevent eccentric loading and
maintain structural repetition, both the mullions and railing posts deny the corner. Sili-
con is used to join the two panes of glass, again, allowing Mayne to reveal the edge of the
surface while maintaining the perception that the surface is continuous.
Construction: Handling Water
SOLID
FORM
HORIZONTAL BANDING
PERFORATED
Photo courtesy MorphosisDrawings by Alissa Weaver
23CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver Construction: Handling Water
WHY
HOW
• Mayne is infatuated with the glass box wrapped in a metal skin
As in many Morphosis projects, Thom Mayne designs a glass box covered
by a technologically advanced skin. If he wanted the skin to be made of
metal panels, he would need to somehow prevent water from penetrat-
ing between them. Because sealing the space between the exterior panels
goes against his principles of revealing edges and defining surfaces, he
requires a second barrier against weather: the glazed walls and rib-
bon windows. He then, abiding by his own principles, allows the space
between the scrim skin and the building enclosure to be void, having no
other choice but to leave it open to outside air.
• The curtain wall is the weather barrier
• The scrim is part of a shading system
The complex, active technology of a mechanical skin made of perforated
aluminum panels shades the glass prism; however, this second skin is de-
laminated ten inches off the building façade, providing no protection from
water. This ten-inch gap allows air to circulate within the system, keep-
ing the glass and cement dry. In this system, the glass layer serves as the
barrier between inside and outside, but the scrim layer acts as a radiation
barrier, blocking sunlight during times of peak solar radiation. Because
the actual envelope is shaded from the sun’s damaging rays, its water bar-
riers are less likely to break down.
Photo courtesy MorphosisSection courtesy Centre Pompidou
CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver24 Construction: Meeting the Ground
WHY
HOW
• Mayne understands human scale
• Division of sequential outdoor experiences
• Skin escapes body
The vertical skin never allows its loads to reach the
ground directly because it is a dependent structure,
secondary to the primary steel frame contained
within the glass box. It serves the pedestrians as an
overhead boundary of the exterior spaces contained
within the plaza. The fragments of skin, peeled away
from the structure to which they cling, represent a
common theme in Mayne’s buildings: one complex
element that, by transforming spontaneously, mirrors
human life and experience.
• Skin folds to transition from vertical to horizontal
Responding to the scale of pedestrians below, the skin
folds, continuing horizontally over pieces of the plaza.
It hangs from the primary structure, transferring its
loads through the columns and into the ground.
Image courtesy Centre PompidouDrawings by Alissa Weaver
25CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver Construction: Meeting the Sky
WHY
HOW
• Intense solar radiation
Because southern California has a sunny climate, shading
is needed to mediate between the pedestrians and the sky.
Recognizing a need to improve comfort, Mayne provides a
canopy.
• The skin provides shading layer at the plaza level
The vertical scrim on the building playfully folds to
become the horizontal canopy. While the vertical skin
provides shading for people within the building, the
horizontal skin provides shading for people outside the
building. However, people within the building view the
outside world through the scrim; whereas, pedestrians at
the plaza level look up through the scrim at the sky. The
eye perceives the sky as continuous even though it can
only see portions of the sky.
Images courtesy Centre Pompidou
CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver26 Construction: Meeting the Sky
WHY
HOW
• Skin camouflages mechanical systems on roof
• Skin is secondary to structure
From the street view, the scrim’s bend camouflages
the mechanical equipment on the roof while provid-
ing a wind-sheltered space with a constructed cat-
walk. This catwalk, used for maintenance, is sup-
ported by the primary steel structure, but attached to
the secondary skin via the steel tubes.
Thom Mayne demonstrates that the scrim is second-
ary to and separate from the structure, never allow-
ing the skin to join with the enclosure envelope. The
skin clads the body, but escapes from it. Practically,
the scrim remains open to maintain the solar chim-
ney’s pressure differential.
• Skin remains a separate, delaminated element
At the roof of the building, the “glass box” enclosure
gives way to high albido roofing, turning the corner
from vertical to horizontal. The scrim skin, kept stiff
by structural steel elements, peels back from the façade,
terminating in the sky while maintaining its dynamic
characteristics.
Image courtesy Centre PompidouDrawings by Alissa Weaver
27CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver
Perforated aluminum
panels
Steel frame holds panels
in place
These tubes, round in
cross-section, provide
added stiffness at the
skin’s folding points and
attach the scrim to the
primary structure
The structure handles
the gravity and lateral
loads of the catwalk
The occupiable roof
and maintenance zones
CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver28
29CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver Appendix: Works Consulted
Allen, Edward. Fundamentals of Building Construction: Materials and Methods. Hoboken, N.J: J. Wiley
& Sons, 2004.
Ambrose, James, and Dimitry Vergun. Design for Earthquakes. New York: Wiley-VCH, 1999.
Caltrans District 7 - Thom Mayne Video. Perf. Thom Mayne. Morphopedia. 22 Feb. 2009. 10 Mar. 2009
<http://www.morphopedia.com/files/caltrans-district-7-thom-mayne-video>.
Centre Pompidou. Morphosis: Continuities of the Incomplete. Paris: Adagp, 2006.
DeSouza, Eugene, Andy Howard, and Teena Videriksen. "The Caltrans District 7 Headquarters, Los An-
geles." Arup Journal 2 (2005): 52-59. Arup. 17 Mar. 2009 <http://www.arup.com/_assets/_download/
download388.pdf>.
Martini, Kirk. “Frameworks for Lateral Loads.” 29 Aug. 2007. University of Virginia School of Architecture.
17 Mar. 2009 <http://www.arch.virginia.edu/~km6e/arch721/content/lectures/lec-02/home.html>.
Kwok, Alison, and Walter Grondzik. The Green Studio Handbook : Environmental Strategies for Schemat-
ic Design. New York: Architectural P, 2006.
Mayne, Thom. Morphosis : 1998-2004. Minneapolis: Rizzoli International Publications, Incorporated, 2006.
Nevayl. 14 Nov. 2003. Caltrans. 22 Feb. 2009 <http://flickr.com/photos/nevayl/sets/72157594383506580/>.
"SunAngle." Sustainable by Design. Ed. Christopher Groneback. 2005. 22 Feb. 2009 <http://www.susde-
sign.com/sunangle/>.
Virji, Salim. Caltrans District HQ. 16 Jan. 2006. 22 Feb. 2008 <http://flickr.com/photos/salim/93641239/>.
CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver30 Appendix: Environmental Response Summary
Design guidelines from Climate Consultant 4
Design Guidelines Utilized HowHeat gain from equipment, lights, and occupants will greatly reduce heating needs so keep home tight, well insulated NA
Glazing should minimize conductive loss and gain (minimize U- factor) because undesired radiation gain or loss has less
impact in this climate
YES Scrim covers glazing on high
impact facades
Sunny wind-protected outdoor space can extend living areas in cool weather YES Outdoor courtyard is protect-
ed by building mass
Tiles or slate (even on low mass wood floors) or a stone-faced fireplace can help store winter daytime solar gain and sum-
mer nighttime ‘coolth’
NA
For passive solar heating face most of the glass area south to maximize winter sun exposure, but design overhangs to fully
shade in summer.
YES Vision glass is used on the
sauth facade
This one of the more comfortable climates, so shade to prevent overheating, open to breezes in summer, and sue passive
solar gain in winter
YES Scram panels shade the glass
facade
Lower the indoor comfort temperature at night to reduce heating energy consumption (lower thermostat heating setback) NA
Organize floorplan so winter sun penetrates into daytime use spaces with specific functions that coincide with solar orien-
tation
YES Light well brings sun into the
buildings core
On hot days ceiling fans or indoor air motion can make it seem cooler by at least 5 degrees F thus less air conditioning is
needed
NO
Trees should not be planted in front of passive solar windows, but rather beyond 45 degrees from each other NO
Small well-insulated skylights (less than 3% of floor area in clear climates, 5% in overcast) reduce daytime lighting energy
and cooling loads
NO
Window overhangs (designed for this latitude) or operable sunshades (extend in summer, retract in winter) can reduce or
eliminate air conditioning
YES Scrim acts as shades on the
north, east and west facade
Good natural ventilation can reduce or eliminate air conditioning in warm weather, if windows are well shaded and oriented
to prevailing breezes
NO
Low pitched roof with wide overhangs works well in temperate climates NO
Provide double pane high performance glazing (Low-E) on west, north, and east, but clear on south for maximum passive
solar gain
YES Structurally glazed 1” insulated
glass unit with low-e coating
by PPG Industries
Traditional homes in temperate climates used light weight construction with slab on grade and openable walls and shaded
outdoor spaces
NA
Traditional homes in cold climates had snug floorplan with central heat source, south facing windows, and roof pitched for
wind protection
NA
Locate garages or storage areas on the side of the building facing the coldest wind to help insulate NO
High Efficiency furnace (at least Energy Star) should prove cost effective YES
Keep the building small (right-sized) because excessive floor area wastes heating and cooling energy H
31CALTRANS DISTRICT 7 HEADQUARTERS BY MORPHOSISMarcey Mankosa • Michael Tyznik • Alissa Weaver Appendix: Data Summary
SEC
Tech
CA
SE S
tudy
Info
rmat
ion
23 A
rch 6
67.0
7A
Stu
dent
Team
Marc
ey M
ankosa
Mic
hael Tyznik
Alissa W
eaver
Bu
ild
ing
Facts
Buildin
g N
am
eCaltra
ns
Client
Califo
rnia
Tra
nsport
ation A
uth
ority
City
Los A
ngele
s
Latt
itude
34°93'0
5N
Longitude
118.4
W
Ele
vation
104'
No
rm
al C
lim
ate
Data
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Heating D
egre
e D
ays
252
205
212
141
78
19
10
221
121
234
1286
Cooling D
egre
e D
ays
67
615
19
58
135
175
154
81
22
4682
Extr
em
e H
igh
95
95
98
106
102
112
107
105
110
108
100
92
Norm
al H
igh
68
70
70
73
75
80
84
85
83
79
73
69
Norm
al Avera
ge
58
60
61
64
66
70
74
75
74
70
64
58
Norm
al Low
48
50
52
54
58
61
65
66
65
60
53
48
Extr
em
e L
ow
28
25
35
39
43
49
53
51
50
41
38
24
Dew
Poin
t39
42
45
48
54
56
59
60
57
53
48
41
Max %
RH
Min
%RH
% D
ays w
ith R
ain
66
63
1N
A1
NA
12
35
35
Rain
Inches
3.3
33.6
83.1
40.8
30.3
10.0
60.0
10.1
30.3
20.3
71.0
51.9
1
% O
verc
ast
Sky
8.5
98.7
8.2
7.8
5.9
1.1
1.2
3.3
5.6
6.1
873.4
% C
lear
Days
14.3
12.4
12.9
12
11.4
13.6
20.9
22.4
18.4
16.1
16.5
15
186
Pre
vailin
g D
irection
WW
SW
WSW
WSW
WSW
WSW
WSW
WSW
WW
WW
WSW
Speed,
MPH
78
98
87
88
78
76
Perc
ent
Calm
Rain
65
63
1N
AN
AN
A1
24
5
Fog
10
98
76
66
79
10
11
11
Haze
Snow
00
00
00
00
00
00
0
Hail
00
00
00
00
00
00
0
Fre
ezin
g R
ain
00
00
00
00
00
00
0
adapte
d f
rom
Inte
gra
ted B
uildin
gs b
y L
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Bachm
an
Bu
ild
ing
Facts
Flo
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Are
a s
q.f
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750,0
00 s
quare
feet
Occupant
load
Cost
Buildin
g c
ost:
$165 m
illion -
tota
l pro
ject
cost:
$190 m
illion
Pro
gra
mTo s
erv
e 1
,850 C
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ns e
mplo
yees a
nd 5
00 e
mplo
yees o
f th
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epart
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escription (
acre
s?)
1.0
5 m
illion s
quare
feet
Site T
ype u
rban,
rura
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tcU
rban
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ing s
paces #
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00 s
quare
feet
- 1,1
42 v
ehic
les
This
are
a b
elo
w is m
ore
descriptive in n
atu
re. P
lease identify
syste
m typolo
gie
s w
hen p
ossib
le, and then identify
specifi
c m
ate
rial conditio
ns.
Foundation t
ype
Gra
vity f
orc
e s
yste
ms
type
Str
uctu
ral ste
el fr
am
ing,
ste
el m
om
ent
fram
es,
ste
el re
info
rced c
oncre
te s
labs
Late
ral fo
rce s
yste
ms
type
secondary
str
uctu
re/b
ackup
Gla
zin
g t
ype,
identify
Cle
ar
tem
pere
d o
r la
min
ate
d 1
” in
sula
ted low
-e c
oate
d u
nits a
nd 5
/8”
lam
inate
d u
nits (
gla
ss s
ize a
s larg
e a
s 6
’-0”
x 1
7’-
6”)
Skylights
Lig
ht
well a
bove t
he lobby c
uts
thro
ugh t
he c
ente
r of
the b
uildin
g,
insula
ted low
-e c
oate
d g
lass o
n p
ain
ted a
lum
inum
fra
min
g
Cla
ddin
g t
ype,
identify
East
and w
est
facades a
re c
lad w
ith a
scrim
--
perf
ora
ted s
heet
meta
l punched w
ith h
ole
s o
f various s
izes p
ow
ere
d t
o o
pen a
uto
matically in r
esponse t
o s
un p
ositio
n.
South
facade r
epla
ced w
ith o
pen latt
ice f
ram
ew
ork
that
support
es a
vis
ion g
lass w
all incorp
ora
ting a
14,0
00 s
qft
arr
ay o
f 895 b
uildin
g inte
gra
ted p
hoto
voltaic
panels
Roof
Torc
h a
pplied m
odifie
d b
itum
inous r
oofing o
ver
rigid
insula
tion w
ith E
nerg
y S
tar
coating
Oth
er
Daylighting
Reduce t
he h
eat
load b
y s
hadin
g f
rom
the o
paque,
monocry
sta
llin
e B
IPV c
ells,
reducin
g infiltra
tion,
and p
rom
oting n
atu
ral ventila
tion b
etw
een t
he t
wo v
ert
ical la
yers
of
façade
Heating
Therm
al flues d
esig
ned t
o k
eep t
he d
river
of
conductive h
eat
exchange c
lose t
o t
he a
mbie
nt
air t
em
pera
ture
Cooling
The p
anels
harv
est
sola
r energ
y a
nd c
onvert
it
to e
lectr
icity d
uring p
eak h
ours
when p
rovid
ing s
ignific
ant
energ
y s
avin
gs d
ue t
o t
he p
unitiv
e p
eak d
em
and e
nerg
y t
ariff
str
uctu
re.
The d
irect
curr
ent
pow
er
genera
ted b
y t
he B
IPV c
ells f
low
s t
hro
ugh p
ow
er
convers
ion e
quip
ment
and into
the b
uildin
g's
ele
ctr
ical dis
trib
ution s
yste
m,
contr
ibuting 9
2kW
of
peak p
ow
er.
Equip
ment
list
Structure EnvelopePassive
SystemsHVACSiteTemperature Humidity Sky WindProject
Belo
w g
rade,
rein
forc
ed c
oncre
te f
oundations w
ork
with s
teel bra
ced f
ram
es t
o s
erv
e a
s s
hear
walls a
nd r
esis
t la
tera
l lo
ads
ProjectDays Observed
Cooling s
yste
m t
ype
Wate
r-coole
d V
FD
centr
ifugal chille
rs,
utilizin
g n
on-H
CFC r
efr
igera
nt
Heating s
yste
m t
ype
Thre
e e
qual-
siz
ed n
atu
ral gas-f
ired b
oilers
Duct
yes/n
oYES
Vert
ical Chases
yes/n
oYES
Specia
l Featu
res
adapte
d f
rom
Inte
gra
ted B
uildin
gs b
y L
eonard
Bachm
an
special features HVAC