The Ohio State University Knowlton School of Architecture

The Austin E. Knowlton School of Architecture is a new facility on the campus of The Ohio State University that brings together the Schools of Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and City and Regional Planning. The four-story, $32-million structure provides a modern 168,000 SF facility containing classrooms, an auditorium, a 30,000-volume library, assembly spaces, faculty offices, and studio spaces for more than 600 students and faculty who use the building daily. To provide the best solution for the architectural vision of this building, SMBH selected post-tensioned concrete. This system allowed for the thin structure, large column spacing, dramatic cantilevers, and high live-load requirements. It drastically reduced the quantities and the congestion of steel reinforcing bars prevalent in conventional concrete slabs. Using exposed concrete as the finished product helped save hundreds of thousands of dollars in floor and ceiling finishes throughout the project. This project has won several awards, including Post-Tensioning Institute (PTI) Winner Best in Class – Buildings and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Ohio Honor Award.