The Commonground open air plaza, at the main entrance to the Eskenazi Health Campus in Indianapolis, Indiana, is a health and community-focused space that looks as inviting from the overlooking hospital windows, as it does from ground level.
In this multi-use park at the hospital, designers wanted a single element which could tie all functions together under one “roof” while still being outdoors. To create this vision, the open space is divided into four distinct zones under a greening trellis covered in plants and vegetation. Elements of structural, architectural and landscape design result in a space which has definition but with a feeling of weightlessness. The Commonground fosters engagement and interaction among visitors and surrounds them with a sense of physical and mental well being.
Ronstan Sales Engineer, Matthew Berrelli, calls this one of his more memorable projects. “After reviewing the specification and design drawings, we worked closely with Thornton Tomasetti, (EOR) and the design team, to make suggestions which simplified the connections of the cables within the trellis web. The result was a more structurally sound system along with a reduction in cost and lead time.”
The trellis canopy incorporates several hundred stainless steel cable assemblies radiating from two mast poles out to a perimeter frame, allowing for spans up to seventy feet without column support. Ronstan Tensile Architecture was the supplier of the cable assemblies and connection plates for the trellis.
The six month project required three-hundred cables of various lengths: ½” diameter ACS2-SS-16, 3/8” diameter ACS2-SS-12 and ¼” diameter ACS2-SS-08. Additionally, Ronstan supplied the customized connection plates and pin assemblies. In order to adhere to the fast-tracked delivery schedule, the cables were pre-assembled in groups to significantly reduce the on-site installation timeline.
For more information on this project or to discuss the requirements of your special project contact Matthew Berrelli (USA) or one of other Tensile Architecture specialist team.
All photos credit: Land-Collective