Hampton Inn & Suites - (19 8th Street North)

[mister.shoes]

Judging by the plans, that support is going to butt up against the front of the building, clearly visible as a separate piece of structure. Probably for future considerations, whenever the skyway is removed/renovated/replaced.

[spearson]

I wonder if this will be all stick framing from level three and up..

[Archiapolis]

I wonder if this will be all stick framing from level three and up..

Not possible by code.

[lordmoke]

I wonder if this will be all stick framing from level three and up..

Not possible by code.

Yeah I was gonna say...

That definitely sounds like a deathtrap.

[spearson]

What the limit for stick construction?

[Wedgeguy]

5 stores of stick on top of what ever level of concrete. Mill 2 is 7 stories because they have 2 levels of concrete instead of one like Mill 1. But I think that there is also a height limit because of how far a ladder truck can go up in fire fighting.

[mplser]

I think the height limit is right around 80 feet

[Nick]

[seanrichardryan]

Wait, how is this being framed? Steel, concrete? I expected columns before walls.

[minnyapple]

The Ferris Wheel set up by this looks fun! http://oxblue.com/open/mortenson/hamptonmn

[mplser]

is that for pride, or something else?

[minnyapple]

Not sure what it was for. Its gone today now though.

[Silophant]

It was part of the Saloon's Pride festivities.

[NE_love]

I think the height limit is right around 80 feet

75'

Wait, how is this being framed? Steel, concrete? I expected columns before walls.

It looks like it is going to be load baring steal stud.

[mamundsen]

They are now putting up scaffolding around the entire structure. It seems like this is the only building in town using this method of construction. I wonder why...

[bapster2006]

Hampton Inn 7-24-14 by bapster2006, on Flickr

[mister.shoes]

I check this webcam every day and the same thought has been nagging at me since they started pouring the concrete for the first above-ground floor. While I don't know much about the load-bearing steel stud construction method, it strikes me as terribly single-use and severely limits the potential future flexibility of this structure.

I realize that given enough money and time, any wall can be moved or eliminated. But practically speaking, the hallways and rooms on floors 2–11 in this building are fixed in place until it's torn down. Maybe that's just fine; it could be that the interior spaces of this building are well enough thought out that it could become something else some day. I suspect that isn't the case: this is a hotel forever—and hopefully the rooms are big enough to be useful that long.

That said, I'm still pumped to see if this will ignite some additional development along 1st Ave and the missing teeth of Hennepin Ave. This is a pretty kickass corner of downtown that could get even better if/when things fill in. Small lots = interesting buildings!

[FISHMANPET]

I'm not sure if it's any less flexible than wood stud construction would be. There will still be load bearing walls, and anything outside of those can be moved around "easily." Though I can't really tell what's load bearing and what's not.

Unless they're using some exotic form of steel stud construction. "Normal" steel studs are functionally identical to wood studs, the only reason we don't build taller structures out of wood is fire code, structurally they can go taller, which is why this is a traditionally framed building that can go above 6 stories. There are some other different fire concerns with steel I think, which is why it's not used often.

[mister.shoes]

I should have specified that I was thinking about the steel studs in contrast to the office-building-typical columns + poured floors or bolted steel skeletons. With either of those methods, the interior walls are largely superficial and can be reconfigured at will. Clearly, this is a cheaper/faster method, but the [perceived (by me)] lack of flexibility is the part that's been nagging at me.

[spearson]

Pretty sure the floors are poured as well. I was watching when I could see the first couple floors of framing, and they were poured concrete floors.