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Update #6: Cold-Formed Steel Framing for Student Housing, Luxury Condos and K-12 Schools

BuildSteel is dedicated to tracking the use of cold-formed steel (CFS) framing in projects across the globe. This post’s projects highlight the cost-savings, resiliency and ability to achieve aesthetically appealing designs using CFS framing.

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Update #6: Cold-Formed Steel Framing for Student Housing, Luxury Condos and K-12 Schools
Update #6: Cold-Formed Steel Framing for Student Housing, Luxury Condos and K-12 Schools

Panelized Steel Framing Cuts Time and Costs

On the northwest side of the University of California, Davis campus, the $217-million Orchard Park student housing community provides affordable and sustainable living options. It features eight buildings with 700 beds for graduate students and three family buildings with 200 affordable two-bedroom units for students with families. 

To accelerate construction, the UC Davis project used a panelized cold-formed steel (CFS) framing system on slab for all buildings. The CFS approach streamlined the process, reduced onsite modifications and significantly lowered costs, helping keep rental rates affordable.

 
“With several components of the residential buildings manufactured off site, the framing process only took five weeks—about half the amount of time it takes to complete framing for wood frame construction,” says Engineering News-Record. 

Construction started in May 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic and was completed in August 2023. The LEED platinum-certified community was finished ahead of schedule and under budget. The project earned a 2024 ENR California Best Projects award in the higher education/research category, recognizing its innovative design and construction methods.

Read the full article.

CEMCO’s Steel Framing Shapes Honolulu Tower

Construction is now complete on Victoria Place, a 40-story luxury condo tower with 350 units in Honolulu, Hawaii. Located in the heart of Howard Hughes’ Ward Village — a 60-acre community with over 900,000 square feet of retail space and more than 5,100 condominium units — the project features 1,352,578 pounds of steel, including cold-formed steel (CFS) slotted track and structural products from SFIA member CEMCO.

CFS proved to be the perfect material for the project, offering the strength, precision and resiliency needed for construction in a coastal environment. Steel framing streamlined construction, reduced waste and ensured enhanced structural integrity.

CEMCO’s slotted track system enhanced performance by providing seismic safety, sound isolation, thermal expansion flexibility and long-term durability. Its lightweight design allowed for faster installation, reduced waste and ensured compliance with fire and seismic code requirements.


Set to welcome residents in late 2024, Victoria Place exemplifies how CFS framing elevates both architectural elegance and functionality in modern high-rise construction while meeting the unique demands of a coastal environment.

Read the CEMCO product profile.

Steel Framing Leads $260M Modernization of California Schools

The Manteca Unified School District in San Joaquin County, California, is undergoing significant facility upgrades as part of a $260 million Measure A bond initiative. Approved by voters to modernize existing school facilities, the bond supports various projects across eight schools, with the most notable improvements happening at East Union High School and Manteca High School.

  • East Union High School: At the 58-year-old school campus, construction is complete on a new two-story classroom building. Housing 30 classrooms and a media center, this state-of-the-art structure was constructed with steel framing, which not only provides exceptional strength and durability but also enhances the aesthetic appeal of the campus. Steel framing allows for modern architectural designs that create open, inviting spaces filled with natural light, giving the school a contemporary look while maintaining functionality. 

  • Manteca High School: At the 104-year-old Manteca High School, construction is underway on a two-story building with 20 classrooms. The steel fabrication and installation for the building’s structural components are complete, while work on the cold-formed steel (CFS) framing is still in progress.

Steel framing has been a critical component in these projects, offering advantages including speed of construction, resiliency and the ability to achieve modern, aesthetically appealing designs. Its use in multi-story buildings not only ensures compliance with modern building codes, but also provides flexible design options to accommodate the needs of 21st-century education.

According to Manteca Unified Director of Facilities and Maintenance Aaron Bowers, these improvements represent a significant step forward in modernizing the campus for current and future students within the district. 

Read the full article. 

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