To construct the steel structure, 2,200 individual moment welds were necessary to meet the building design to resist progressive collapse specifications—a unique Dept. of Defense requirement. Each weld underwent ultrasonic testing to ensure zero imperfections as well. Due to the high amount of welding and prolonged hot work activities, thousands of hot work permits were issued, contributing to zero fire incidents.

Photo courtesy U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation

The Madera Center is designed to withstand 142-mph wind loads, and this was tested regularly throughout construction. The design specified a custom-engineered reusable weather enclosure system, which allowed interior work to proceed while fabrication was underway on the custom exterior structural glazing system.

Natural daylight now floods a majority of the building through the nearly all-glass facade.

However, due to the oversized and extremely heavy glazing panels on the third floor system—each panel spanning 7 ft by 13 ft and weighing 1,250 lb—the team constructed an onsite bridge crane to perform this work.

To install the sculptural staircase, a complex scaffold was designed to fit around the floating stair structure and adjacent construction while it twisted 39 ft though the unusually shaped opening, allowing crews to paint and finish the stair structure prior to turnover.