Miami has developed a contemporary vernacular of condominiums that includes brise-soleil-style balconies with floor-to-ceiling windows that offer panoramic water views. We have taken these indigenous elements of the new Miami skyline and continue the evolution of their local architectural language. Our design “re-groves” the heart of Coconut Grove, and creates a landscape in tune with its surroundings. The two towers of the Grove at Grand Bay respond to the surroundings and to each other, to give optimum views at every level.
The towers take off from the ground to capture the full breadth of panoramic views from sailboat bays and the marina to the Miami skyline. The true twisting nature of the columns posed a number of structural challenges that demanded a fresh, innovative approach. The foremost challenge was to resist torsion generated in the tower core due to the sloping column geometry. The horizontal component of the gravity load in the columns is resolved in the slabs by transferring it to the interior core shear walls, which are the only consistently vertical structural elements in the building.
To minimize the total horizontal shear force transfer into the core walls, a “hat truss” was introduced at the roof. The hat truss is comprised of a series of beams cantilevered from the cores and connected to all the columns. The hat truss collects superimposed dead load and live load delivering the “suspended” loads directly to the core as a vertical load component. This alternate load path reduced torsional forces in the core by approximately 30 percent. With its optimized views, an innovative structure, and a replanted grove, the Grove at Grand Bay will be the first pair of all-residential towers to achieve LEED Gold in Miami-Dade County and serves as a new landmark for the community. http://www.big.dk/#projects-coco