all photos © Julian Parkinson

Santiago Calatrava designed first building at Florida Polytechnic University also named best in steel construction by AISC.The 160,000-square-foot IST Building opened August 2014.

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) announced the winners of its 2015 Innovation Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel Awards program (IDEAS2). The Innovation, Science, and Technology (IST) building at Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland, Florida earned the steel industry’s top building award, and was named the national winner in the $15 million to $75 million dollar category. Santiago Calatrava served as the lead architect for the project which has already garnered several awards since being completed.

The annual competition recognizes excellence in the use of structural steel, both from an architectural and structural standpoint. Industry professionals judged the competition based on the unique application of structural steel in the project’s many elements of design.

The structure, which was completed within the $60 million budget, features a 250-ft-long glass atrium shaded by 94 operable louver arms which are reinforced by 72 ft structural steel boxed plate assemblies. The steel plate assemblies secure the 62ft louver arms, which not only add to the grandeur of the structure, but act as a shading system that reduces the building’s solar load by 30 percent.

The structure sits on a northwest-southeast axis, and is surrounded by a lake which mirrors the intricacy of the design. The building is composed of aluminum, aluminum cladding, concrete, and glass, and functions as the primary campus facility. The IST Building houses classrooms, labs, offices, and common areas.

Project Facts

Year: 2009 - 2014 

Status: Built

Location: Lakeland, FL, US

> via Santiago Calatrava Architects&Engineers