DCX Office Building, The Wharf Parcel 10

Situated on the waterfront, this five-story office building provides breathtaking views of the Potomac River.  Cantilevering out over 35 feet, Parcel 10 also known as the DCX Office Building, has been compared to a floating jewel box extending to the Potomac River.  Even more striking, the structural profile at the ends of the cantilevered floors is only eight inches thick.

The challenge to the team was simple: create a light, floating five-story office building with 35-foot cantilevers.  SK&A worked closely with the architect early on for studies that would be acceptable to the architectural program.  While numerous concepts with steel and concrete were done, at the end it was determined that a two-way post-tensioned high strength concrete (7,000 psi) slab with drop panels provided both the thin structural profile and long cantilevers, which the architect envisioned.  To achieve a thin profile at the ends of the perimeter, the drop panels were tapered in thickness.  A 5’-0” perimeter of a “no drop panel zone” was created to allow the thin profile at the exterior of the building, while also allowing the glass façade to extend up from floor to floor without the use of spandrel glass.