Forell Elsesser provided structural design services for the new Facebook MPK21 building. The building includes an on-grade open parking area for approximately 1750 cars, a second story open office space with an enclosed area of approximately 410,000 sf, a large mezzanine space, and a roof with heavily landscaped areas and multiple large skylight, lobby, MEP, and conference room structures. The design also includes many unique exterior stairs, light gauge steel “clusters,” a large courtyard with Redwood trees, and a large clearspan event space.
Customized Solution
- The building’s green roof has 3.6 acres of undulating terrain and a half-mile meandering pathway among hundreds of full-size trees. The planting is occasionally interrupted by story-tall sawtooth skylights that bring plentiful natural light into the office below.
- The town square gathering space houses two signature cafés and provides outdoor space complete with a grove of 40 foot tall redwood trees. The Salad Café is constructed of diagonal 18”x 18” glulam beams, columns, and braces and is clad in glass. The Biryani Café has jagged, stepping roofs and is supported by round tube steel columns and braces.
- Among the building’s 35 uniquely designed stairs are three interior feature stairs, which incorporate unsupported switchbacks. To limit vibration and deflection under service conditions, the stairs have specially detailed connections that remained pinned under dead and live load but slide in a seismic event to accommodate inter-story drift.
Highlights
- Architect: Gehry Partners, LLP
- Owner: Facebook
- General Contractor: Level 10 Construction
Team
René Vignos
Chief Operating Officer
Geoff Bomba
Director of Engineering Operations
Lori Jue
Associate
Susan LaFore
Senior Associate
Casey Ching
Senior Engineer
Steve Earl
Senior Engineer II