Steelhouse Omaha

To realize the project’s edgy feel with its shingled metal exterior and canted walls, the engineers designed the facade panels and framing structure to be lightweight and cost effective. 

Reconciling the loading conditions and geometric intricacies of the canted facade walls with the heights and orientations of other facade elements required careful structural design analysis and execution.

To deal with Omaha’s varied climate, the enclosure was required to account for moisture control and weatherproofing, including the vulnerabilities of 65-degree canted walls to water and air infiltration. 

Delivering high level soundproofing without compromising on the venue’s internal atmosphere was a major priority for the project team, given the site’s proximity to a condominium complex.

The design team worked closely with other members of the building team to review, propose, and detail out a system of aluminum facade panels with unitized framing, specialized bracketry, and a specialty coating for durability.

The enclosure and structural engineering teams designed the braced frame structure with exposed girder trusses, rotated floor beams, canted steel columns, transfer columns, and cantilevered framing to negotiate levels and loads across the canted walls.

Instead of using a blanket membrane, the design team performed a hygrothermal analysis study to find parts of the canted walls that needed more protection. A vapor impermeable membrane was used along with a permeable membrane applied in other facade sections. 

A gravity-stacked masonry perimeter wall and lateral braces comprising steel strap plates and pins alongside long-span roof trusses were incorporated into the design to reduce sound leakage and ensure the venue’s aesthetic coherence and acoustic integrity.

The design solutions helped Steelhouse Omaha’s facade achieve the desired shingled appearance, which celebrated the city’s industrial history and enlivens its urban surroundings. 

The venue’s stunning canted walls were made possible by fine-tuned engineering, which accounted for each load transfer and thrust force, achieving structural stability and the desired visual effect. 

By avoiding the higher expenses of using a vapor impermeable membrane throughout the facade and deploying targeted interventions, a cost-effective weatherproofing solution was delivered to the owner. 

Our acoustic design solutions facilitated easier installation, presented a cleaner aesthetic, and eliminated interference with mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.