GSA Office Building - Southwest Region

The General Services Administration Office Building is a two story building that houses support offices, fitness areas, weapons and arms storage and detention spaces for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. Walter P Moore modeled the structure in REVIT Structure to enhance the coordination efforts with the architect who also worked in REVIT.

The building is set back a minimum of 100 feet from a secure perimeter and required a high level of protection for blast. From the onset the design team knew that the exterior wall was going to be heavy. When fully grouted CMU was determined to be the most economical system, Walter P Moore designed the exterior CMU as load-bearing to support the steel framed superstructure and reduce costs. The building architecture mimicked an adobe look that is predominant in New Mexico with the application of a final finish on the exterior face of the CMU.

The project is certified LEED Silver. Walter P Moore pushed sustainability at every opportunity (during the pursuit, early in and throughout the design and through construction) even as it appeared that other stakeholders were not accustomed to structural engineers being so proactive about promoting sustainability.

Walter P Moore relentlessly pushed to implement a strategy of using high recycled contents, including high levels of fly ash replacement of cement. Included in this strategy was the use of a minimum 50% fly ash replacement of cement in the CMU wall grout. This was the first use of high fly ash grout in the Albuquerque market and equivalent to the CO2 emissions of the annual commuting of the office of record.