Last week, the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) presented its Innovation Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel Awards program. Recognizing exemplary work in steel for both its architectural and structural merits, the AISC awarded Santiago Calatrava's Innovation, Science, and Technology (IST) building at Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland, Florida with the national award in the $15 million to $75 million category.
The $60 million building designed by Calatrava uses an intricate skeletal structure throughout, but the centerpiece of the design is the 62 foot (19 meter) mechanically-operated louver arms which shade the atrium at the center of the building. Recalling the wing-like shading of Calatrava's earlier Milwaukee Art Museum, the louvers are supported by 72 foot (22 meter) steel boxed plate assemblies, and can be raised or lowered to reduce the building's solar load by up to 30%.
