The Steel District Office Trades Traditional Design for Wide-Open Interior Spaces

The future of office design is here. The first UHPC (ultra-high-performance concrete) high-rise is setting a new standard in construction.

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The Steel District Office captivates observers and tenants with its apparent defiance of structural norms. The feat of 70-foot, clear-span open spaces unaided by interior columns is owed to its innovative construction utilizing ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC), a groundbreaking method spearheaded by Gage Brothers, eConstruct USA, and Koch Hazard Architects. The building’s pioneering use of UHPC eliminates conventional load-bearing columns, granting unparalleled flexibility in interior design.

Situated on a historic downtown site next to the Big Sioux River in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the Steel District Office is comprised of nine floors of mixed-use spaces, showcasing a fusion of functionality and architectural finesse with tenants ranging from restaurants to law firms. By removing structural columns, tenants gain freedom in renovating spaces, such as designing an enormous break room with stunning cityscape views or an open interior staircase to create easy travel within a multi-floor space, a liberty inconceivable in conventional steel constructions. 

The building’s total precast construction includes the use of 86 UHPC beams, epitomizing a seismic shift in architectural and structural possibilities. When used in conjunction with traditional precast elements, this pioneering material challenges traditional construction methodologies. UHPC opens the door to faster construction timelines by using less material, decreasing crane operating requirements, and fewer workforce demands.

“The clear span is a big deal, absolutely,” said Collin Moriarty, the Steel District Office’s engineering project lead with eConstruct USA. “But it’s also worth noting that the precast system is inherently fire-resistant. Usually, for a high-rise, you need to protect the steel with spray-applied or wrapped fire protections, which adds to construction costs and requires time. With a concrete structure, we didn’t need to do any of that.” The UHPC beams also include openings to facilitate ductwork, piping and conduit maintaining exceptional ceiling heights while enabling better sound dampening between floors.

The Steel District Office stands as a testament to innovation and adaptability, earning accolades and setting precedents in North American construction. The building has already earned two prestigious awards: “Best Innovation in Buildings” at the Third International Interactive Symposium on Ultra-High Performance Concrete, and the Harry H. Edwards Industry Advancement Award at the 2024 PCI Awards.

Keith Thompson, the project’s principal architect, emphasizes the significance of this structural innovation in fostering adaptability with sustainability. “I’m proud to have worked on a building that can be timeless. Given its ability to reinvent itself to suit new tenants and owners, the Steel District Office could still be thriving in a century,” Thompson stated. “If you’re a tenant divided between a building that gives you complete layout flexibility and one that doesn’t—isn’t your choice intuitive? The value to the developer and the tenants speaks for itself,” he concluded.

For more information on the Steel District Office project or to learn more about the Gage Brothers’ work with UHPC, please visit www.GageBrothers.com.