Elevate at Southwest Station Apartments, Minnesota

BKBM provided structural engineering services for this new 222-unit mixed-use apartment building providing market rate and affordable housing units.

Achieving the Design Intent, Without Compromising Cost and Constructability

Location: Eden Prairie, MN

Client:  Kaas Wilson

Service:  Structural

Construction Materials:  Concrete, Post-tensioned concrete, wood

The building includes 13,000 SF of retail space at grade level combined with parking at grade level and one level of underground parking.  There is also a partial intermediate parking level (1.5) between level 1 and the podium.  The structural system consists of concrete foundation walls, post-tensioned concrete floors at grade, level 1.5, and the podium level, and five levels of conventional wood-framed construction.  Five units contain an additional mezzanine/6th level of wood.  A recessed plaza patio with a spa occurs on the south central area of the building to overlook Purgatory Creek.  The structure is supported on driven steel piles with a portion of the at-grade slab being a structural, pile-supported slab on grade.

Careful coordination and collaboration was required with the design team and contractor for the placement and sequencing of a building pour strip on the post-tensioned levels, the deep foundation design for the building and some site utilities, and brick support to achieve the aesthetic intent. BKBM’s expertise in post-tensioned concrete design and multi-story wood design brought tremendous value to the project by minimizing material costs and detailing easily constructed connections throughout the building. Unique solutions were found for challenges with column layouts, slab steps, and elaborate parapets that maintained project costs and constructability without compromising the look and design intent of the building.