The Beam on Farmer, Arizona’s first mass timber, multi-story office building, topped out on Feb. 10, 2022.
The five-story, 184,000-sf structure, located in downtown Tempe, is the first in the state to feature exposed Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) construction as the primary structural system. Mortenson, the general contractor, plans to move its Arizona operations to the building when it opens this summer.
CLT fabricator, Holzpak, manufactured 194 CLT columns, 1,170 CLT beams, and 893 CLT decks weighing more than 4.5 million pounds for the structure. Some 79 shipping containers transported the building materials from Austria to the project site.
The interior will feature 13-foot exposed wood ceilings and 40,000 sf open floorplates. An Under Floor Air Distribution (UFAD) system will provide high air quality and energy efficiency. In the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic, employee confidence in a clean, safe, and healthy work environment is a priority for owners. The Beam on Farmer is positioned to deliver one of the healthiest office building environments in the state, according to a news release. It will offer higher air quality and a contactless user experience.
The CLT manufacturing process uses young trees, combining layers of natural timber and creates zero waste. The building will sequester almost 2,600 metric tons of carbon. Scrap material from CLT production is used to create other products or biofuel.
The building will feature a flexible office design and unique creative environment, the release says. It is nearby numerous attractions and amenities in Tempe. The building’s parking garage will feature a 4/1,000 parking ratio. The Phoenix office of JLL is the building’s exclusive leasing broker.
Mortenson and the construction team were recognized at the topping out ceremony for working 68,697 hours since groundbreaking without a single injury. The project team has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and helped to raise donations for Southwest Human Development.
Owner and/or developer: Mortenson, PGIM Real Estate, Urban Development Partners
Design architect: RSP Architects
Architect of record: RSP Architects
MEP engineer: IMEG (Formerly MSA Engineering Consultants)
Structural engineer: PK Associates
General contractor/construction manager: Mortenson
Related Stories
| Dec 6, 2011
New office building features largest solar panel system in New Orleans
Woodward Design+Build celebrates grand opening of new green headquarters in Central City.
| Dec 5, 2011
Gables Residential brings mixed-use building to Houston's Tanglewood area
The design integrates a detailed brick and masonry facade, acknowledging the soft pastel color palette of the surrounding Mediterranean heritage of Tanglewood.
| Dec 5, 2011
SchenkelShultz Architecture designs Dr. Phillips Charities Headquarters building in Orlando
The building incorporates sustainable architectural features, environmentally friendly building products, energy-efficient systems, and environmentally-sensitive construction practices.
| Dec 2, 2011
What are you waiting for? BD+C's 2012 40 Under 40 nominations are due Friday, Jan. 20
Nominate a colleague, peer, or even yourself. Applications available here.
| Dec 1, 2011
VLK Architects’ office receives LEED certification
The West 7th development, which houses the firm’s office, was designed to be LEED for Core & Shell, which gave VLK the head start on finishing out the area for LEED Silver Certification CI.
| Nov 22, 2011
Corporate America adopting revolutionary technology
The survey also found that by 2015, the standard of square feet allocated per employee is expected to drop from 200 to estimates ranging from 50 to 100 square feet per person dependent upon the industry sector.
| Nov 18, 2011
Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability opens
Designed to exceed LEED Platinum, the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS) is one of the most innovative and high performance buildings in North America today, demonstrating leading-edge green building design products, technologies, and systems.
| Nov 17, 2011
Hollister Construction Services renovating bank in Union City, N.J.
Project is part of a series of ground-up construction and renovation assignments.
| Nov 16, 2011
Project completion of BRAC 132, Office of the Chief Army Reserve Building, Ft. Belvoir, Va.
This fast-tracked, design-build project consists of a three-story, 88,470 sf administrative command building housing approximately 430 employees.
| Nov 15, 2011
Struggling economy demands construction industry embrace enterprise-wide risk management
In today’s business environment of high supply and limited demand, it has become especially vital for organizations in the construction sector to effectively manage risk.
