August 2020
San Juan Federal Office Building named best regional project by ENR Southeast
SAN JUAN, PR - A new Federal office building in San Juan, Puerto Rico has been named the best regional project by Engineering News-Record Southeast. Located within the Federal campus in the Hato Rey neighborhood of San Juan, the project included a five-story office building, 154,00-square-foot technical services annex and a 320-space parking garage. The new office consolidated was built to achieve LEED Gold Certification with sustainable features including rainwater harvesting, solar hot water heating, and photovoltaic panels.
The project was a major presence in San Juan as the largest construction project on the island. Apart from security-related specialty contractors, Walsh Construction committed to all local labor; over 350 local workers and over 40 local subcontractors worked on the project.
Multiple project features demonstrated exceptional quality and craftsmanship, including the façade which consisted of architectural precast panels and ribbon windows, and the white precast color required a specific mix design with no variance tolerance. At ground level, these panels were bush hammered for a textured aesthetic. Projecting from this façade are louvered sunshades that connect to the building structure. Because of the increased blast and earthquake resistant requirements, these sunshade connections were welded in place of bolted connections which decreased tolerances. At the interior lobbies, finish upgrades included upgraded wood veneer panels that were stained to match building furniture and had end, book, and sequence matching. The result was a showcase wall covering exuding a timeless quality, reflective of Federal operations.
Overall, the building's design creates a new form that complements the existing campus, providing an uplifting facility with an appreciation for the rich colors and textures of the region’s culture.