A few recent fires in the United States have destroyed several wood-framed buildings.Ī January 2015 fire at the Avalon, a mid-rise building in Edgewater, New Jersey, displaced about 500 tenants and affected neighboring residents. CFS is noncombustibleĪs urban planners see their cities becoming denser and denser, many have concerns about fires - and those worries aren’t misplaced. CFS was the natural choice for this project, as it minimized the additional weight on the existing foundation and allowed the owners to construct the condominiums at prices acceptable to the market. To expand urban living availability, the general contractor needed to add three stories on top of the existing building to house upscale condominiums. For example, consider Piatt Place in downtown Pittsburgh, which was originally a four-story department store. CFS-framed structures can achieve cost savings on footings and foundations.Īnd, lightweight CFS framing is an effective solution when adding stories to existing structures. Compared to concrete, lightweight CFS framing reduces building load. “The exterior walls can support nine stories and steel balconies.”ĬFS is also lightweight, a key consideration for inner-city projects. Ford, P.E., Principal, Matsen Ford Design. “Architects might not realize that cold-formed steel studs are this strong,” said Patrick W. The developer’s design included three CFS-framed towers and preserved 126 revenue-generating parking spaces for the city. Load-bearing CFS commonly supports mid-rise buildings up to 10 stories - although some professionals argue it can support a building as tall as 40 stories.Ĭity Green, a 135-unit residential building in Milwaukee, sits on a 1.2-acre hill in a T-shaped lot. However, CFS offers exceptional strength. Since CFS is sometimes referred to as light-gauge steel, designers, developers, and builders may think it’s suitable only for interior drywall partitioning and for framing low-rise structures. Here are three reasons why CFS is an effective framing choice for infill projects: 1. Some building materials, such as cold-formed steel (CFS) framing, can contribute significantly to the creative use of tight spaces. But stakeholders should carefully consider their choices. Narrow-lot zoning gives designers, developers, and builders some leeway in choosing building materials for projects. The question is, can any building materials contribute to urban infill project success? An ideal framing material Nevertheless, the City of Angels remains a model for how designers, developers, builders, city planners, and community members can work together to develop the urban landscape. Of course, some local activists are challenging Los Angeles’ approach to urban infill development. The proximity of structures requires innovation related to massing, height, and transitional areas.Projects must use existing topography and maintain grade levels consistent with surrounding structures.Small lot homes must be structurally independent with no shared foundations or common walls.The handbook outlines what’s expected of designers and developers. In 2014, the Los Angeles Department of City Planning published the Small Lot Design Guidelines. 176354 opened the options on how small lots could be developed. Where 5,000-square-foot lots once had to be used for single-family homes or condominiums, LA’s Small Lot Ordinance No. Los Angeles passed a successful small lot ordinance in 2005. Narrow-lot zoning and the formation of special city agencies allow architects, developers, and builders to create more urban townhomes, row houses, and cottage courts. Many American cities have issued ordinances related to urban infill development. With that in mind, what should designers, developers, and builders know about the brave new world of urban development? New infill guidelines Overall, 89 percent of American economic growth takes pace in metro areas. Nearly one-third of all Americans live in one of the 10 most populous cities. The boon in urban development is also well underway here in the United States. By 2050, 66 percent of all people will be city dwellers, which means an extra 2.5 billion people will need urban housing. The United Nations says 3.9 billion people - 54 percent of the world - live in metropolitan areas. Across the globe, people are migrating to cities to live and work.