Enterprise IV Corporate Center

As urban and suburban space becomes more limited, developers may begin looking closer at the type of space solution developed by the Enterprise IV office building and parking structure in Shelton, Conn. The project, the first of its kind in the state, used an all-precast concrete design to place a five-story office building on top of a 2-level above-grade parking structure. The design solved the owner's need for additional office space while also providing parking space not only for the new structure but also for adjacent buildings.

The design solved a variety of challenges, explains Robert Scinto, chairman of the developing firm R.D. Scinto Inc. As the company was preparing to construct the last of nine buildings in the Enterprise Corporate Center, Scinto realized that changing demands had left only one space available, which was also required for parking. "We had a tenant that needed about 90,000 square feet, but we could only satisfy that need by building on the site of an existing parking lot. But we still needed to provide parking, not only for the new building but for current tenants, too."

The developer first considered building a precast parking garage with a steel-framed office building above. But before solidifying that plan, Scinto decided to explore the benefits of creating an all-precast structure. He discussed the possibilities with designers at Blakeslee Prestress Inc. in North Branford Conn., which had supplied precast concrete components for all of the company's parking structures during the previous 10 years.

Precast Saves Time And Money
The Blakeslee design team told Scinto that while it was feasible to build a steel structure atop a precast parking structure, the developer could realize greater savings in both time and money if both the office building and the parking structure were built from precast concrete. Scinto liked many aspects of the proposal. "I knew that precast minimizes the potential maintenance problems associated with a steel and concrete structure," he says. "Since I retain ownership of the buildings I build, that's particularly important to me."