The Paxon

Provided civil and structural engineering services for the design of a 189,000 square foot, five-story apartment building with 140 units.

Location: Minneapolis, MN
Client: Kaas Wilson Architects
Services: Structural, Civil
Square Feet: 189,000
Construction Materials: Wood, Masonry, Precast Concrete
Civil Services: Conceptual, Grading and Drainage Design, Land Development, Site Demolition, Erosion/Sediment Control, Site Due-Diligence
 
The building features two levels of below grade parking with 140 parking stalls, and several tenant amenity spaces including a large fitness area adjacent to the courtyard pool at sublevel 1, a party room, theater/lounge space, and a large community deck overlooking the pool area on the main level.
 
The approximate 1.3 acre site presented BKBM with several civil engineering design challenges. Some of these included the site being located in close proximity to an existing railroad right-of-way, a 15 foot elevation difference across the site, and close proximity to bedrock. 
 
BKBM assisted the architect in setting building elevations that minimized bedrock excavation and maximized parking and tenant features.  BKBM also worked with the City of Minneapolis on design of the stormwater management system to meet current rules and also minimize rock excavations.
 
The structural system consists of a slab on grade at the lowest level, two levels of precast concrete framing, and five levels of wood framing for the upper floors. The structural design incorporated an existing concrete wall along North 1st Street to allow the contractor to use the wall for earth retention during construction. The foundation design required careful coordination with site conditions in order to avoid supporting footings on a weak shale layer that runs across the building site.