Mackey Mitchell Architects and KPFF Consulting Engineers each have a long history of working on the campus at Washington University in St. Louis. Most recently we’ve been teamed with Moore Ruble Yudell Architects on the university’s new Olin Business School.

During a lunchtime  presentation, KPFF’s John Miller, Jason Richards, and Marc Friedman discussed the evolution of Olin’s spectacular atrium roof, from original concepts to the calculations involved in designing a structure where the challenges are many and public safety is paramount. Rising 50 feet above the floor with a 90′ x 90′ span, the 177,000gsf column-free structure is the building’s signature feature. A fantastic video of the space can be found on MRY’s website.  It took a creative team and a cast of hundreds to make this elegant, truly unique, light-filled space a reality. The project will be featured in Structure magazine’s August issue.