Building in Thin Air
You know that shortness of breath you feel on top of a 14er? Try working all day, every day to construct a world-class building. And don’t forget the volatile weather and threat of deadly lightning. Acclimatization to high elevation for workers and tradespeople will be critical. “[General contractor] GE Johnson has engaged experts in high-altitude training and drawn upon their experience in establishing summit-specific safety protocols for training the workers at the summit,” says Jim Hopper, senior project manager with GE Johnson. That includes training and monitoring for altitude sickness and a limit of 6.5 hours a day workers will spend on the mountain.
Environmental Heights
Because it sits on federal land, the Summit Complex is required to meet LEED Silver certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), but the project team is pursuing the higher level Living Building Challenge. The international sustainability certification is the world’s most rigorous and progressive environmentally green performance standard. “Only about two dozen projects worldwide have achieved full Net Zero Building Certification,” says Stuart Coppedge, principal at RTA Architects. “It’s a lofty goal, but one fitting for a national icon such as the Pikes Peak Summit Complex.”
No Ordinary Views
What brings visitors to the top of Pikes Peak? The views. The new Summit House is designed to maximize them inside and out, but that requires overcoming unique challenges. Aluminum curtain wall framing fastened to steel and concrete provides strength to withstand 100-mph winds. The team is still finalizing plans to reinforce glass against blowing grit and to make glass visible to migratory birds without impeding human views. “We’re also working on window glazing to make it as efficient as possible and control glare,” Coppedge says.
By the Numbers:
30-50 Estimated construction workers involved in the project
1,300 Hours a year to haul water up and transport wastewater off the summit.
36,419 Total building square footage
750,000 Visitors per year
$47.5 million Estimated total cost
