As opposed to the hot-rolled steel shapes typically used in multi-tiered conventional steel construction, metal building systems utilize slender members with thinner flanges and webs. The web thickness and flange size are optimized to match the strength required at any location on the frame. Consequently, metal building system designs can save on material costs while still meeting seismic codes. The metal roof structure can also perform well to protect facilities facing high-wind events. In a recent white paper “Metal Roofing Performance and Wind Events,” Robert Zabcik, P.E., president, Z-tech Consulting, Houston, wrote, “Today’s metal roofing is a strong choice for even the most vulnerable structure. Metal roofing’s strength and durability provide safety and security for building owners and occupants alike.” For the Costco Santa Fe project, the use of three different building types required different seismic designs. At the same time, the buildings are all connected. “Per code, we needed to add a seismic gap between each building type,” Barba explains. “However, people still needed to be able to move between the buildings, so different types of seismic joints were used throughout the project.”
LANDSCAPING THROUGHOUT As noted, a big effort was made to blend the warehouse into Parque La Mexicana’s natural landscape. To hide the building, tall berms called Montañitas were placed strategically and green screens were designed for the walls. “The green façade screens, with native crawling vegetation at its base, cascade down from the roof above and obscures the warehouse and parking structure’s appearance,” wrote Barba in the Mexican landscape architecture publication Landuum. In addition to concealing the structure, the native Montañitas require less irrigation than typical vegetation. MG2 design worked with the Santa Fe, Mexico City community to turn a big box Costco Warehouse design into a beautiful public amenity. Credit: © Omar Franco. Courtesy of MG2.
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