Total Precast
Michigan State University Federal Credit Union
Overview
The Michigan State University Federal Credit Union (MSU FCU) is a Class A commercial office building sitting on the western end of the East Lansing downtown district. It is a seven-story building of approximately 87,822 square feet; the ground floor consists of a MSUFCU member branch and additional retail space, floor two is a large community space, and floors three through 7 are typical office floors for MSUFCU and potentially other building tenants.
PCI BIM Honorable Mention
Project Details:
General Contractor
Granger
Engineer of Record
IMEG. Corp.
Architect
Neumann/Smith Architecture
Michigan State University Federal Credit Union Taps Fabcon in the Construction of its Newest Building in Downtown East Lansing, MI
Michigan State University Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU)’s newest building in the downtown district of East Lansing, MI provided an opportunity to expand its footprint and bring more jobs to the area. The seven-story structure included retail, office, and community spaces.
Problem
The project team constructing the new MSUFCU building had a couple of challenges to overcome. First, the exterior needed to have the same look and feel of other buildings in the downtown core of East Lansing. This included matching other predominately masonry buildings within the downtown core and incorporating large expanses of vision glass in the primary public-facing facades to increase visibility and connectivity to the surrounding area.
In addition, the urban lot on which the building sits had zero lot lines, with close proximity to neighboring buildings and businesses, and the current neighbor had an outdoor seating area situated directly adjacent to the zero-lot line. The team had to carefully consider the material, methodology of construction, and the timing to mitigate the impact on the neighboring business.
Solution
To address these challenges, the design team incorporated insulated structural precast sandwich wall panels that could be erected quickly and included an architectural mural that reflected the building’s architecture and complemented its surroundings. The mural was assembled offsite in modular sections, thus not disturbing the neighboring business with equipment or materials. They embedded a think glazed green brick into the precast in a dissolving pattern that created a striking contrast between the vast dark gray thin brick wall surface on the main wall surface and the linear lines of each floor.
The building itself has a structural steel frame supported laterally by a precast concrete shear walls system on the north side of the building. The other three have unobstructed views of the Lansing Capital Building, Michigan State University campus and the surrounding neighborhood.
Results
The use of precast helped the project team maintain the construction schedule without requiring any secondary construction operations on the wall once it was installed. This approach also ensured the neighboring business was not disrupted. And the design solution created a beautiful new and functional building façade that enhances the surrounding community.
The finish of the exterior precast included a running bond brick pattern that was carefully coordinated with the overall building exterior finish. The Manganese Iron Spot Brick and a Green Glazed Brick complemented MSU’s school colors and adjacent structures allowing the building to blend in nicely with the surrounding environment.
”Partnering with Fabcon was a truly exceptional experience. Their team demonstrated remarkable expertise and efficiency in producing high-quality precast concrete wall panels for the MSU FCU project. From start to finish, their professionalism and attention to detail ensured a smooth process, delivering outstanding results that exceeded expectations.
Ben LeBlancSenior Project Manager | Granger
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