The Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) has selected Coreslab Structures from Perris, California, for its work on USC Village at the University of Southern California, as this year’s winner. The award was presented at PCI Committee Days in Rosemont, Illinois, on Oct. 12.
The winning Oxford-inspired project is a multiple-building complex on the USC campus in Los Angeles that encompasses the many facets and intricate details of collegiate gothic architecture. The eye-catching, five-story buildings are clad with precast thin brick wall panels, according to Coreslab Structures' Vice President and General Manager Jon Clausen.
Each erected panel includes several previously cast pieces inset into larger forms that included the various architectural features along with elastomeric thin brick forms. Typical pieces include separate window surrounds, cornices, medallions, and other design elements that were carefully coordinated and placed in the forms before the final pour. More than 1.5 million bricks were hand-placed into elastomeric liners to capture the individual bricks in highly controlled random patterns.
A panel of judges evaluated projects on a variety of criteria the precast/prestressed concrete industry have identified as key measures of manufacturing excellence, including forming, overcoming obstacles to production, finishing, and the overall quality of the end-product. The award is named after retired PCI Director of Architectural Systems Sidney Freedman, who served as a leading voice in precast architectural design for more than 43 years with the organization.
“The sheer magnitude of the project and Coreslab’s attention to every detail, such as 1 million linear feet of grout joints, set the USC Village ahead of all others,” says Chris Fister, president, Fister Quarries Group Inc., who served as one of the judges. “Judging was very difficult, as all entries displayed superior workmanship and a true passion for their art.”
The project included erecting 1,050 wall panels; however, the total project included more than 3,000 precast pieces. Each erected panel encompassed several previously cast pieces that were inset into larger forms that included the various architectural features along with the elastomeric thin brick forms.
“This project was the largest individual development the school had ever tackled,” says Clausen. “The volume of unique and challenging details, coupled with an extremely tight schedule, demanded a high level of commitment from every team member.” For more on the winning project, click here.
