Our very own Parbi Boodaghian stepped back into the classroom this week, presenting to a USC graduate class as part of a design, engineering, and construction technologies program. Alongside Sean Quinn with HOK, he delivered a case study presentation on the recently completed project down the street – USC Ginsburg Hall.

Parbi highlighted structural design elements of the building, all of which featured multidisciplinary integration efforts. One such element was the building’s radiant in-slab heating and cooling, which was designed to work in conjunction with the air systems to circulate air more effectively, a feature which contributed heavily to the structure’s targeted LEED Platinum certification. The combined radiant deck and dedicated outdoor air system required close coordination with the mechanical engineers to incorporate piping in the structural deck, which was mixed to include synthetic fiber to mitigate cracking. (Photo 2).

Another unique structural challenge was the design of cantilevered transfer girders that would support the building’s multi-story floating atrium (Photo 3), which had to account for detailed deflection considerations occurring over multiple floors, and across multiple interconnected cantilevered beams. These elements are just two of the many features that required close coordination with the design team and system integration. The construction of this new teaching and research facility was truly a team effort!