Brava is a 47-story multifamily luxury residential tower in downtown Houston with 373 residences loaded with amenities, including a 24-hour concierge; valet parking; the 46th-level sky amenity deck capturing panoramic views of the skyline with a private resident dining room and catering kitchen; the 10th-level zero edge pool, cabanas, daybeds, yoga lawn and private terrace; and a gym with on-demand virtual fitness classes.

The project team experienced the labor and supply issues that are ubiquitous in the construction industry, but also faced some additional challenges, including materiality issues for the canopy on Level 1 and the cantilevered balconies. According to the project team’s contest submittal, “The knife plate canopy on Level 1 was a design-assist process that required the contractor and the design team to test different materials and corresponding coatings to achieve the design intent while withstanding the stress of field welding. In the end, the team could identify and source the proper steel and coating without amending the canopy design.”

Brava's sail shape also posed a challenge to the construction balconies and the skin of the building. “Through intensive collaboration, the team-built cast-in-place balconies are up to 25 ft in length that are successfully cantilevered without supports,” the company said.