Beacon Park - Lumen Restaurant|Detroit, Michigan|2017 

Architects: Touloukian Touloukian Inc. 
Client: DTE 
General Contractor: Tooles Contracting Group 

Project Type and Location
New Construction: restaurant building and park support Location: Grand River Avenue - Detroit, Ml

Site Description

The Beacon Park and restaurant building, situated along Grand River Avenue, welcomes visitors into the center of downtown Detroit. This urban revitalization project and new public space is being created to anchor the emerging neighborhood, spur economic development and provide a quality place for the community in the surging and vibrant downtown district. Central to its modern geometry are strong cantilevered roof forms gesturing towards the historic G.A.R. building and the park's elliptical lawn, and a grand stair leading to a roof deck on axis with the historic Book Tower Building. Connections to the park landscape are further created with a green roof, and sliding glass walls that provide a flexible indoor outdoor floor plan that supports restaurant seating, a farmer's market, musical performances and a community meeting room. Forms, systems, and details are evocative of the automotive legacy of Detroit.

Planning, Design, and Construction Process

The structural system utilizes steel and concrete in a series of complex interdisciplinary details. The main roof framing utilizes two primary trusses that are concealed within the roof deck parapet walls. In addition to supporting the roof deck, steel outriggers, folding glass walls and fall protection, these trusses and outriggers coordinate large penetrations of ductwork, piping, fire protection and electrical systems.

The design team iteratively shared BIM Models with sub-contractors and the steel detailer to refine steel, thermal connections and the shop drawing process. The building trusses are met by a series of unique columns, sized specifically to meet the individual loading needs per location. The columns maximize interior square footage and maintain low profiles to enhance the presence of a large, floating roof.

By tapering, upsetting, and cantilevering beams and outriggers the project was able to achieve a 28'-0" cantilever that terminates at a 4" ACM panel fascia with a concealed built up gutter and 6 inches of green roof medium.

Additional detailing involved waterproofing the sloping concrete slab below the precast, exterior grand stair. The twenty foot long by eight foot wide prefabricated steel structure, made of steel plate stringers and horizontal channels, was set on steel plates above the waterproofing and concrete slab to allow for positive drainage.

Thermal performance was critical to the buildings overall envelope and its pursuit of LEED Silver Certification. The design team implemented thermal breaks between steel members that were passing through the thermal envelope, filled HSS members with spray foam insulation, and over-sprayed steel and metal decks to reduce thermal transfer.