Project Overview
New York City is recognized around the world for its incredible architecture, including the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, and, now, the Crossing at Jamaica Station. This mixed-use development consists of two residential buildings: a 600,000 ft2, 28-story high rise containing 539 units that rises from a three-story retail and parking garage podium, and a 170,000 ft2, 14-story midrise structure containing 130 units. FXCollaborative Architects partnered with Global Precast Inc. and engineer WSP to devise a precast concrete panel system that served as the perfect fit for this large-scale effort.
Precast Concrete—King of Queens
The Crossing at Jamaica Station’s facade concept embodies a contemporary aesthetic using abstract geometry and a striking black-and-white color scheme. A composition of vertical piers creates a visually dynamic exterior that is both energy efficient and distinctly modern. And while the development offers ample affordable housing to the Jamaica, Queens, neighborhood where it is located, the design avoids tropes typically found in buildings of its type, offering a unique and refreshing approach to urban architecture.
According to Dan Kaplan, FAIA, LEED AP, senior partner with FXCollaborative Architects, the Crossing at Jamaica Station was originally designed with a multilayered rainscreen system for the exterior facade. “Budget and schedule parameters led the team to pivot to a precast concrete panel system” he said. “A design-assist process began between the developer, architect, construction manager, exterior wall consultant, and precast manufacturer. Through a months-long series of biweekly meetings, the team focused on creative solutions to effectively value-engineer the project, resulting in cost savings for the client with minimal impact to the design intent, performance, or user experience.”
Aesthetics were a key consideration for the project, largely because the development’s proximity to a train station makes the site highly visible to daily commuters. With the symbolic importance of the site in mind, the project team designed, manufactured, and installed articulated precast concrete panels that transform the appearance of the buildings’ large exterior surfaces into a more human scale. The facade animates the urban streetscape with an alternating vertical composition of contrasting white and charcoal gray precast concrete panels. Additionally, a common aggregate integrated into both the light and dark panels adds a subtle sense of movement by sparkling in the sunlight.
The use of precast concrete played a significant role in the project achieving LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. As Kaplan explained, rather than the high window-to-wall ratios seen on many high-rise buildings with curtain wall or window wall systems, the Crossing at Jamaica Station has precast concrete panels with punched window openings that keep the window-to-wall ratio under 40%, minimizing energy use. The wall system, which is made of 5-in.-thick concrete, is self-supporting, eliminating the need for metal subframes and intermittent anchors. The system’s continuous insulation, combined with the low window-to-wall ratio, contributed the building’s high level of performance and energy efficiency.
To avoid visible joints between precast concrete panels, the designers chose highly articulated panels with reveals and projections. This design artfully integration the panelization grids into the field of the facade. The use of two contrasting precast concrete colors and two matching sealant colors further hides panel joints to prioritize the pattern across the building surfaces. This approach maintained the dynamic and alternating visuals of the original design intent.
Delivering a resilient and sustainable development that boasts a signature look is not an easy task, but thanks to the use of precast concrete panels and a motivated project team, the Crossing at Jamaica Station provides the community with much-needed affordable housing inside of buildings that instill a sense of pride.
Mason Nichols is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based
writer and editor who has covered the precast concrete industry since 2013. |