The brief
A glass box that had to survive seismic zone requirements and still look like nothing is holding it up.
Site area
980 m²
Built area
560 m²
Levels
3
Structure
Base-isolated steel
Envelope
Structural glazing, 42 mm
Certification
Homestar 8
The constraint
Importance Level 2 seismic design with a fully glazed primary elevation on reclaimed harbour fill.
What we did
Base isolation on twelve lead-rubber bearings, decoupling the glass envelope from ground movement entirely.
The result
Full seismic compliance with zero visible bracing. Sign-off first time, no engineering variations.
The problem
Importance Level 2 seismic design normally shows up as bracing. On a fully glazed primary elevation sitting on reclaimed harbour fill, there was nowhere to put it that would not have destroyed the building.
Base isolation
Twelve lead-rubber bearings decouple the entire structure from the ground. The envelope moves as one body rather than resisting movement through its frame, which let the glazing be specified for weather and thermal performance alone.
Twelve lead-rubber bearings
Zero visible bracing to the harbour elevation
Seismic sign-off first time, no engineering variations
The brief
A glass box that had to survive seismic zone requirements and still look like nothing is holding it up.
Site area
980 m²
Built area
560 m²
Levels
3
Structure
Base-isolated steel
Envelope
Structural glazing, 42 mm
Certification
Homestar 8
The constraint
Importance Level 2 seismic design with a fully glazed primary elevation on reclaimed harbour fill.
What we did
Base isolation on twelve lead-rubber bearings, decoupling the glass envelope from ground movement entirely.
The result
Full seismic compliance with zero visible bracing. Sign-off first time, no engineering variations.
The problem
Importance Level 2 seismic design normally shows up as bracing. On a fully glazed primary elevation sitting on reclaimed harbour fill, there was nowhere to put it that would not have destroyed the building.
Base isolation
Twelve lead-rubber bearings decouple the entire structure from the ground. The envelope moves as one body rather than resisting movement through its frame, which let the glazing be specified for weather and thermal performance alone.
Twelve lead-rubber bearings
Zero visible bracing to the harbour elevation
Seismic sign-off first time, no engineering variations