As a facility that delivers world-class diplomatic training and career-long learning opportunities, this 220,000-sq-ft, four-story building provides office suites and classrooms along with a large multipurpose room to accommodate a variety of functions. The $103-million project was completed at budget and on schedule. Building B also features a green roof, energy-efficient HVAC system and locally sourced and recycled materials. The project was built on the secure, occupied and fully operational 71-acre National Foreign Affairs Training Center campus.

Light-gauge metal framing was used instead of cold form structural steel at several locations, including the facade, penthouses, roof knee walls and elevator frames. The contractor implemented an atypical technique of sequencing steel erection area by area as opposed to the traditional story by story, which accelerated the schedule.

The team braced the foundation wall with structural steel to proceed with critical path steel erection. That allowed crews to backfill the first floor slab-on-grade area without having to erect steel and place concrete above the basement area to lock the diaphragm in place. Installing the building’s prefabricated, hollow structural steel ornamental staircase involved shipping four 4,500-lb pieces that were set in place with a crawler crane through the roof. Pieces were then field welded at each level into an I-beam and two pieces of 16-ft-long rebar that were installed before placing concrete on the metal deck.