Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts – Ground-Level Glass & Glazing Engineering

Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Project: Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Project Type: Performing Arts | Cultural | Civic
JEI Scope: Structural Engineering for Ground-Level Glass & Glazing Systems
Architect: Safdie Architects with BNIM Architects
General Contractor: JE Dunn Construction
Completed: 2011

Specialized Glass Engineering on a Kansas City Landmark

Few buildings are more immediately recognizable in Kansas City than the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

Designed by internationally renowned architect Moshe Safdie, the Kauffman Center is home to the Kansas City Symphony, Kansas City Ballet and Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Its sculptural stainless-steel forms and extensive use of architectural glass have made it an important part of Kansas City’s skyline and downtown redevelopment.

JEI Structural provided structural engineering for the large ground-level glass and glazing systems located around the first floor and near the building entrances.

Clarifying JEI’s Project Scope

The Kauffman Center is especially well known for the enormous cable-supported glass enclosure rising above Brandmeyer Great Hall.

That large-span upper glass enclosure was not engineered by JEI Structural.

JEI’s work was concentrated at the ground level, including the large glass pieces and glazing systems near the entrances and extending around the first floor of the building.

We believe accurately defining our role is important. Major architectural projects involve many specialized engineering, architectural, fabrication and construction teams, each contributing their expertise to the completed building.

Engineering Large Architectural Glass at the Pedestrian Level

Ground-level architectural glass presents its own structural and design challenges.

Unlike glass viewed primarily from a distance, entrance and first-floor glazing becomes part of the pedestrian experience. Visitors walk beside it, approach through it and interact directly with the surrounding architecture.

Engineering these systems can require consideration of:

• Large glass lite dimensions and structural capacity

• Wind and applicable design loads

• Glass thickness and composition

• Supporting framing and structural members

• Deflection and serviceability

• Anchorage and connection design

• Entrance and adjacent glazing conditions

• Interaction between glass and surrounding structure

• Constructability and installation requirements

At an internationally recognized building such as the Kauffman Center, these technical requirements must also support an architectural goal: allowing the structural system to remain visually secondary to the glass and the building itself.

Glass at the Human Scale

Much of the attention surrounding the Kauffman Center understandably focuses on its soaring rooflines and enormous south-facing glass enclosure.

But architecture is also experienced where people meet the building.

At the first floor, large areas of glass create transparency around entrances and public spaces and help connect the monumental architecture above with visitors arriving at street level.

JEI’s contribution to the Kauffman Center was at this human scale—structurally engineering large architectural glass and glazing systems around the building’s ground level.

A Kansas City Landmark

Completed in 2011, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts contains two major performance venues: the Muriel Kauffman Theatre and Helzberg Hall.

The building has become one of Kansas City’s signature architectural landmarks and an important connection between downtown Kansas City and the Crossroads Arts District.

For JEI Structural, having our specialized glass and glazing engineering represented on a building of this significance in our hometown remains an important part of our Kansas City project history.

Beyond Delegated Design: Specialized Façade Expertise for Major Projects

Projects as architecturally ambitious as the Kauffman Center demonstrate something important about modern façades:

Glass and building-envelope systems often benefit from specialized engineering expertise well before final delegated design begins.

JEI Structural works with Owners, Developers, Architects, General Contractors and Glazing Contractors at multiple stages of the project.

For Owners & Developers

Protect the building envelope investment.

JEI provides Third-Party Façade Reviews and Building Envelope Risk Reviews to independently evaluate glass, glazing and façade systems before potential issues become expensive construction or post-occupancy problems.

For Architects

Bring specialized glass and façade expertise into design.

JEI can assist with Design Assist, preliminary engineering, structural glass evaluation, system feasibility, connection concepts, building-movement coordination and glazing specification support.

Early engineering input can help architects pursue ambitious glass concepts while understanding the structural and constructability requirements behind them.

For General Contractors

Identify façade coordination risks before they reach the field.

JEI provides Third-Party Façade Reviews, delegated-design reviews, constructability input, building-movement coordination and façade submittal support.

Our focus is finding potential gaps between the primary structure, architectural requirements and delegated façade systems while there is still time to address them.

For Glazing & Building Envelope Contractors

Specialized engineering and drafting for the systems you build.

JEI supports glazing contractors with delegated structural engineering, calculations, connections, system optimization, shop drawings, fabrication drawings, BIM and project-specific technical support.

We understand that good engineering must also work with approvals, fabrication, installation and construction schedules.

Kansas City’s Glass & Façade Structural Engineering Specialists

JEI Structural has been headquartered in Kansas City since 2003, providing specialized glass, glazing and façade engineering for projects locally and across the United States.

Curtain Wall | Storefront | Structural Glass | Window Wall | Glass Railings | Entrances | Canopies & Skylights | Specialty Glazing | Façade Panels

Planning a significant Kansas City façade or building-envelope project?

Bring JEI into the conversation early.

JEIstructural.com

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