Steel Framing Supports a Mosque’s Modern Design
The Al Kawthar Educational Centre and Mosque, a 20,000 square-foot community facility, recently opened in Surrey, British Columbia. The project showcases the sophisticated use of steel in construction, including the durable use of cold-formed steel (CFS) framing.
The two-story mosque serves the Shiite Muslim community as a center for prayer, a school of theology and a venue for community engagement and knowledge exchange.
The building incorporates advanced steel construction techniques. The CFS-framed interior walls offered added durability and design flexibility. The minaret, rising 50 feet, features a combination of tilt-up concrete panels and a braced, steel frame enveloped in frosted glass. The design enhances the minaret’s structural integrity and adds aesthetic appeal.
The Al Kawthar Centre includes a multi-purpose lecture and event hall, two child daycare facilities and two outdoor playgrounds. The layout emphasizes openness and integration, with hallways on both floors leading into an inner courtyard. The use of steel throughout the building ensured structural efficiency while accommodating the complex details and diverse functions of the center.
Prefabricated Steel Framing Accelerates Student Housing Construction
The University of Wyoming in Laramie is undertaking a $264-million project to upgrade its student housing. Pandemic and supply chain disruptions delayed the project, and the lack of experienced subcontractors in the state provided additional challenges.
The project includes the construction of two, five-story residence halls to replace the existing residential towers on the southeast side of the campus. Prefabricated cold-formed steel (CFS) framing is accelerating the construction schedule due to the ease and repeatability of installing the panels.
The project features 922 beds over 505 rooms and suites, with the buildings collectively covering more than 300,000 square feet. This marks the university’s first residence hall project in over 60 years.
The podiums of the buildings serve as fire barriers for the upper floors, which are framed with CFS. Sandwiched between structural steel decking, the CFS load-bearing walls form the residential portions of the structure.
“The new halls are designed for at least 75 years of residential use, offering a very resilient building,” said Brad Massey, principal, alm2s.
Steel Framing Supports Wisconsin’s First Net-Zero Public Building
The McFarland Public Safety Center is the first net-zero public building in Wisconsin. Completed in April 2023, the 61,000-square-foot multi-floor facility houses the village’s fire and rescue, police and municipal court departments.
The exterior walls are a combination of masonry cavity walls and metal panels, underpinned by a blend of masonry and cold-formed steel (CFS) backup construction. This steel framework not only enhances the building’s resiliency but also contributes to its energy efficiency and durability.
Internally, the structure includes metal framing and gypsum board to create functional and secure spaces. Specialized elements such as bullet-resistant transaction windows, custom millwork and advanced security systems further highlight the building’s focus on safety and functionality.
Additional Resources
- Update #2: A Steel-Framed Training Center, Prefabricated Student Housing and ‘Zero Energy Ready Home’
- Update #1: A Steel-Framed Fire Station, Sustainable Steel Homes and a $320M Steel Factory
- Six Unmatched Advantages of Cold-Formed Steel Framing in Modern Construction