UVA Contemplative Commons

SGH consulted on the design of the building enclosure, including below-grade and terrace waterproofing, exterior walls, windows and curtain walls, skylights, and low-slope roofing. Highlights of our work include:

• Reviewing the proposed design and recommending ways to improve airtightness, watertightness, thermal performance, condensation resistance, and constructability
• Performing hygrothermal and thermal analyses to evaluate moisture drive and heat flow through proposed wall assemblies featuring a combination of glass, brick, and stone with exposed mass timber framing elements and cedar soffits
• Developing details for the various building enclosure systems and to integrate them with each other, including expansion joints at the terrace interfaces with the bridges
• Consulting on the hot rubberized asphalt waterproofing membranes for the terraces constructed with an integral snow-melt system in the concrete slab and covered with a combination of pedestrian and vegetative overburden
• Participating in the design-assist process for the curtain wall glazing
• Providing construction phase services, including reviewing related submittals, visiting the site to observe ongoing construction, and helping the project team address field issues
• Witnessing performance testing, including air/water leakage testing at installed curtain walls and adhesion testing of hot rubberized asphalt terrace waterproofing