Cold-formed Steel Panelization

Located in the River North Art District of Denver, the Penrose fills a critical need for more affordable housing in this busy, diverse, creative neighborhood. This 16-story mixed-use high-rise features a six-level parking garage and 182 units.

Salas O’Brien provided cold-formed steel (CFS) engineering design for the panelized exterior system utilizing advanced prefabrication techniques. Our team designed lighter, single-story panels to optimize material usage through lighter stud weight and less steel. Custom-engineered solutions, such as CFS lifting clips and mid-slab joints, eliminated welding and heavy steel components, enhancing installation speed. Additionally, special connection details for post-tensioned concrete streamlined the workflow, allowing concurrent interior and exterior construction.

The project was awarded the 2024 Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA) Industry Project Award Winner, Efficient Use of CFS Framing (Awarded to CEMCO).