Project Description
From the beginning, the use of heavy timber was integral to the overall philosophy of the automobile museum and maintenance facility’s 185,000 square-foot design. A wood system offered the ability to combine favorable aesthetics, fire resistance and structural innovation while significantly reducing construction costs.
The 19 glulam beams are placed on 23’ intervals over its 440’ length forming a wooden armature familiar to regional timber construction. The museum’s shell is one of the longest moment resisting timber frames in the United States. This innovative system created a unique category for moment resistive wood structures that is in the process of being adopted into the IBC.