Rayette Lofts

The project was a restoration and conversion of a seven story concrete frame building to an apartment building from its use as a parking garage following SHPO guidelines.

Location: Saint Paul, MN
Client: Kaas Wilson Architects
Services: Structural
Square Feet: 164,000
Construction Materials: Cast-in-Place Concrete, Structural Steel, Composite Metal Deck, Light Gauge
 
The original building construction use was office/manufacturing. The parking garage use was created 16 years prior to the conversion by removing slabs and casting concrete ramps between levels for vehicle access.  Filling these openings required the use of lighter material than concrete since continuous action of the floor slabs was no longer present. A fire rated steel cold formed floor joist system was selected.
 
The existing concrete floor slabs required restoration due to deterioration from a leaking roof and accumulation of salts from parking use.
 
A roof top amenity space and deck was added on the roof level.  Due to insufficient load capacity of the existing roof slab, the space was created with elevated structural steel.  Additional areas of steel were created to support roof top mechanical systems, an emergency generator, and snow drift loads created by the added level.