A structural steel moment frame was installed on the 21st of October. This is the first vertical element to rise into the air and standing alone looks quite massive. It isn't, Its 20 ft high and 19ft wide, the height is a standard height for a two story house frame.
The frame was constructed and welded by Del Mar Fabrication and gives us the strength and shear strength to make the corner-less nana wall system work. The interesting note on the structural steel is that it is not part of any wall in the house but rather is a support for the balcony and the roof system. By shifting the bearing from the corner of the house to the moment frame, it allows us to achieve what we hope is a spectacular indoor outdoor room featuring a disappearing corner with incredible views.
Below is a cad 3d photo which shows the moment frame (outlined in pink highlighter) This gives you a good visual sense of where the moment frame is located and its relation to the house. You can also see that the house is stepped back as you go towards the back of the house. This is a design consideration to ensure privacy for both us as well as the neighbors below. It will not be possible to see in, or see their house/backyard from the interior of Herons' House.
Structural steel while expensive opens up endless design possibilities that are not possible with typical wood construction. More and more custom homes and even a few high end track homes are beginning to use structural steel. At first glance it could appear to be above the level of an owner builder but with a creative architect working with the engineer and the fabricator it was no problem to design and install the moment frame. Our concrete guru Ron, absolutely nailed it right on with his layout and footings for the frame in a very complicated layout.
