The Paradise Show House project entailed the comprehensive structural design for a primary residential dwelling and a distinct garage/office structure in Paradise, California. The main residence was envisioned with shallow footing foundations, a structured ground floor spanning a crawl space, a partial second floor, and a pitched roof. Prominent superstructure elements included steel beams supporting innovative Nexii panels for the ground and second floors, complemented by exposed timber beams supporting Nexii panels at the roof level. Load-bearing Nexii panels were integral to the design, engineered to support the floor and roof systems, as well as to resist lateral loads. The separate garage/office, a structure of approximately 300 square feet, was designed with a concrete slab-on-grade, shallow foundations, and a comparable Nexii superstructure.

My Pivotal Role and Responsibilities

In my capacity as a structural engineer on this project, I undertook a range of critical responsibilities, ensuring the structural integrity and successful progression of the design:

  • I executed the comprehensive structural design for all conventional concrete elements, including the foundations and retaining walls for the innovative Nexii single-family show home.
  • I engineered the concrete foundation system for the ~300 sq. ft. separate one-storey office auxiliary structure.
  • A significant aspect of my role involved proactive design collaboration. This included a meticulous review of calculations and details provided by Nexii for their proprietary panel system. Recognizing the specialized nature of these panels, I initiated crucial discussions to clarify design parameters and address potential ambiguities.
  • I identified critical missing information regarding the proprietary panel system and, understanding my own scope of practice and limitations, I engaged with both my supervisor and the client. We collaboratively established a structured workflow where I focused on the main structural members like superstructure steel and concrete foundations, while the client’s specialized team handled the intricate design aspects and force calculations for the panels themselves. This ensured optimal leveraging of expertise.
  • I authored detailed technical specifications, which were essential for the precise execution of the project.
  • I actively participated in and contributed to project coordination and design meetings, facilitating the seamless integration of structural elements with other design disciplines.
  • I provided crucial engineering services to support the permitting and construction phases, as stipulated in our project agreement.

A key challenge in this project was the integration of the proprietary structural panels as primary load-carrying members. I proactively identified and addressed potential technical risks by developing and implementing innovative design solutions:

  • Optimized Lateral Bracing System:
    • I strategically selected specific wall panels for eccentric bracing, a decision aimed at maximizing bracing length and minimizing diaphragm spans, thereby enhancing overall structural efficiency.
    • To improve load transfer and stability, I focused on eliminating vertical structural irregularities by ensuring the continuous stacking of braced frames throughout the building’s height.
  • Enhanced Seismic Resilience:
    • I meticulously designed the connections and foundations to ensure ductile behavior of the wall systems. These were engineered for seismic loads calculated at 20% greater than the frame wall capacities, a measure exceeding standard code requirements to bolster seismic resilience.
  • Proactive Climate Change Adaptation:
    • Anticipating future environmental shifts, I incorporated a 10% increase in snow loading beyond prevailing code mandates. This forward-thinking approach aimed to proactively mitigate potential impacts due to climate change, ensuring the structure’s long-term integrity.
  • Comprehensive Diaphragm Analysis:
    • My analysis extended beyond standard practice; I conducted thorough checks of diaphragm chords for axial forces, in addition to verifying shear forces against diaphragm capacities.
    • I performed detailed analyses of stress concentrations at critical areas, such as openings and cantilevers, to prevent potential localized failures.
  • Hierarchical Strength Design Philosophy:
    • I adhered to a rigorous design philosophy ensuring that primary structural members consistently possessed higher capacities than connecting secondary members (Foundation capacity > Column capacity > Girder capacity > Beam capacity). This created a robust and predictable failure hierarchy, enhancing the safety and reliability of the structure.

Key Contributions and Project Status

My contributions ensured that the structural design for the Paradise Show House was substantially completed, showcasing advanced engineering solutions and a proactive, forward-thinking approach to risk identification and mitigation. This project particularly highlighted my ability to discern the limits of my own expertise with novel systems and to forge effective collaborative pathways with clients and specialists to achieve project goals.

The project is currently paused, pending the navigation of overseas local code requirements. However, the comprehensive foundational design work I delivered is poised for implementation once these regulatory aspects are resolved.