ClarkDietrich Engineering Design Wins 2024 CFSEI Award for the IQHQ Research and Development District – Block 2A

All photos courtesy of Brady West.

For the IQHQ Research and Development District, Block 2A, in San Diego, California, ClarkDietrich Engineering designed the picture frame feature on the north elevation of the structure using cold-formed steel (CFS) framing.

Brady West was the CFS specialty contractor for the project. KPFF was the engineer or record for the structural work.

The project received the Design Excellence — Third Place honor in the 2024 CFSEI Awards presented by the Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute (CFSEI).

The IQHQ Research and Development District – Block 2A in San Diego, California, with the unique picture frame feature on the north elevation of the structure.

Landmark Waterfront Campus

The Research and Development District is downtown San Diego’s newest mixed-use development for the life sciences.

“Sitting on eight acres and occupying six city blocks, San Diego’s Research and Development District will represent the largest urban commercial waterfront site along California’s Pacific coast, once complete,” says the Gensler website.

“Designed by Gensler, this dynamic urban life science campus will feature a mix of mid-rise buildings, a 17-story tower, ground-floor retail, restaurants and a public paseo, all activated by roof decks and green space for the community to enjoy.”

IQHQ–Block 2A is one of the six-buildings that make up the Research and Development District.

Cantilevered Picture Frame

The picture frame feature on the north elevation was a primary design challenge.

The cladding cantilevers up to 5’-6” beyond the primary structure on all four sides of the curtainwall window. Supporting the gravity load of the side walls of the picture frame required kickers every 6’-0” o.c. vertically.

Cold-formed steel (CFS) framing offered an effective solution for constructing the complex picture frame feature on the project’s north elevation.

Continuous Louvers, Variable Wall Framing

Another difficulty involved several continuous louvers at the first floor. Through coordination with the design team a solution was reached where a louver would be place in 8’-0” increments to allow for jamb framing in between.

The design team solved the challenge of continuous first-floor louvers by spacing them 8’-0” apart for jamb framing.

Throughout the project, there were several locations where the wall width varied along its height, or where bypass studs were partially interrupted by floor slabs. The design used lapped studs and unique spandrel framing to achieve the shape desired by the design team.

At a location with high loads a creative detail was needed for reinforcing the deflection track. Two studs were added, one on each side of the deflection track, to help strengthen the track legs.

Two cold-formed steel (CFS) studs were added, one on each side of the deflection track, to help strengthen the track legs.

Read the complete story for Ensign Engineering’s 2024 CFSEI Design Excellence Award here.

Additional Resources

• ClarkDietrich Wins SFIA Award for Grand Junction High School, Grand Junction, Colorado
• ClarkDietrich Wins SFIA Award for 1,000 LF Demising Wall at the I-X Center, Cleveland
• SFIA Reveals 7 Winners of the 2023 Industry Project Awards in Online Ceremony