The design was driven by three factors. First, there is the issue of bridging the gap between the different socio-economic groups that inhabit the city of Atlanta. This place needs to serve a diverse community while fostering relationships through integration. It needs to bring people together. This is accomplished by vibrant programmatic elements that serve the community, hotel guests, and residences. The second is to design a carbon-neutral structure using mass timber. There is a light well that runs the entire length of the building. A mirror-coated louver on the roof reflects and bounces light into the interior and allows for ventilation, airflow, and cooling. There is a rain harvesting system that collects gray water for irrigation. Thirdly, and most daring of all, was the intention of designing a building without any columns yet structurally sound. It is comprised of an External Truss system with a reinforcing web framing the envelope. Then there is an Interior Truss system that is anchored onto the elevator cores. Beams then run perpendicular and attach to the bottom of each chord, spanning to the External Truss system. Between spans, CLT panels create a rigid diaphragm.
