CHALLENGES & LESSON LEARNED:
Porsche Palm Springs came with one of the most compressed timelines we’ve ever worked under—just 15 months from a blank sheet of paper to construction completion. The fast-paced schedule required accelerated design phases, quick decision-making, and tight coordination with the owner, architect, and contractor. With very little room for redesign or delays, structural solutions had to be right the first time.
Architectural ambition was front and center in this project, and that meant our structural system had to work around the design rather than the other way around. The building’s sleek geometry and clean visual language limited structural depth and continuity. Columns and walls were often dictated by layout and sightlines rather than structural efficiency, requiring careful integration of framing systems to support the architecture without compromising performance.
One of the most complex features was a massive glass skylight that cuts diagonally across the roof. While visually striking, the skylight introduced a major discontinuity in the roof diaphragm and interrupted typical load paths. Designing a lateral system that could accommodate this feature while maintaining seismic integrity was a significant engineering challenge. Strategic use of collectors, drag struts, and diaphragm segmentation helped restore continuity without compromising the architectural vision.
Behind the showroom, the high-end service area featured rows of in-ground vehicle lifts—each requiring significant slab openings. Combined with Palm Springs’ variable soil conditions, this meant the slab-on-grade had to be carefully detailed to handle differential movement and maintain long-term durability. In some zones, reinforcement detailing and subgrade preparation became as critical as the structural framing above.
Each of these challenges reinforced the importance of early coordination, flexible thinking, and rigorous structural detailing. The project stands as a testament to what can be achieved through close collaboration under pressure—and how engineering can rise to meet design, even under the most demanding circumstances.
CONCLUSION:
As complicated and stressful as it was, we genuinely enjoyed the challenge—this is the kind of complex, constraint-heavy puzzle structural engineers live for. From diaphragm discontinuities to architectural limitations, every problem demanded precise, efficient solutions grounded in fundamentals. What made it all possible was the owner-builder model, which gave us direct access to the construction team and allowed for real-time problem-solving. That constant communication was key to keeping the design nimble, the schedule on track, and our nerdy engineering brains fully engaged.
