We’ve had a lot of new development and construction in the sites surrounding our office lately, and one of the newest projects we’ve been watching is this new apartment complex going in behind us.
TDG Architecture – our upstairs neighbors – designed the apartments, and LGA Studios did some initial design consultation on the project as well. The two-building project is being built by KCI General Contractors. Each three-level building will have thirty units, with a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments and a sleek modern style.
As building design professionals, we’ve been having a lot of fun watching the construction process through our office windows.
The building team is getting about one level up per week. In late August, they raised the first wall on the third level and are now almost finished with all the exterior walls.
Frame walls are constructed laying flat on the ground (or on the floor of the current level), making them easier to construct, as well as more accurate. We’ve seen several crewmembers use steel angles to make sure that the studs are at 90-degree angles.
When the wall is framed, the entire crew gathers to raise it up. Then, several contractors use nail guns and cross bracing to tack the wall into place. Once other walls are raised, they attach them to each other. The cross bracing stays on until the walls are sheathed. Sheathing gives the walls shear strength and stability.
As you can tell, we’re enjoying our front-row view of construction, and we’re excited to see how the apartments turn out!