Projects Completed, Buildings Opened

Monday, October 15, 2018

Quite recently, two projects we are proud to have been a part of reached completion and the buildings are now open to the public. One of these projects is The 505 on Walnut student apartment complex. The complex consists of three five-story, wood-framed apartment towers set on a concrete-framed “podium” level. There are courtyards between the towers and a parking garage below. This building was particularly exciting for us to work on as it is the tallest wood-framed structure KHH has worked on as the structural engineer of record.

The complex was designed to promote social living and a collegial sense of community. The apartments range from one to four beds, and each unit has a washer and dryer. Community amenities include resident parking, lounges, a fitness center, shuttle services, a café, and a dog wash station.

The building was completed in time for the 2018-2019 school year. As Syracuse University students returned to the area, The 505 on Walnut was ready to welcome a portion of the off-campus community back to Syracuse.

Our second recently finished project is the Albany Medical Center P Building, which serves as the region’s first pediatric emergency department. The building is four-stories high and 70,500 square feet. It is open 24/7 to provide emergency care to children. The building features a triage area, a fast-track unit, an observation unit, private rooms, onsite imaging and x-ray, and negative pressure rooms. This building posed interesting structural challenges in the form of an extremely tight site as the building is set up against several vintages of older structures. It was necessary to underpin the existing foundation and drill micropiles through an existing concrete mat foundation.

The design of the building takes care to maintain a child-friendly atmosphere. Emergency rooms can be frightening places for adults but even more so for children. Having a designated location with equipment and décor that is specifically for children, takes away some of that intimidation, easing stress and allowing them to get the care they need.

These projects serve their communities, and we hope they will continue to do so for decades to come. Both projects provided challenging and exciting work for us, and we are glad to have been on the teams that created these structures.