We will now present you our solution for Master class project, organized by Graz University

and Pro Holtz in collaboration with our Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture.
The task for students was to create a structure that combines and connect office space with
living space and environment. The building was placed in Zagreb on a floor area of
approximately 300 square meters.

Architectural student that was working with us was in charge for design of the building and
we were analysing it. Our project was hybridbuildings consisted of two separated buildings,
one with co-working space and the other with co-living space that were connected with a
platform inbetween them, notional (namjenjeno) as place for connecting those two spheres of
life. For example a place to hang out after work or a place for group meeting, a place for kids
to play etc.

Whole structure was made of wood with glass curtain walls.

Curtain walls were attached to floor panels with special metal hangars called “slippers” and
they were non bearing.
Basic structure for both building was skeletal building system made of columns and beams
that were transferring vertical loads from the roof to the foundations. Surface load is
transmited over panels to beams as a linear load, and the reactions of beams are transmited as
point load all the way to the foundation.
Floor panels were made of cross laminated timber, which is a massive wood construction
product consisting of bonded single-layer panels arranged at right angles to one another.
For transferring horizontal loads we had to add bracings in two places along the longitudinal
side of building, and at the beginning of each building was a core. Inside the core was a
staircase and elevator shaft. Because of fire safety rules those had to be isolated in fire
compartment with additional fire protection layering.
Bracings were connected to columns with imprint steel plates and screws.

The platform was a structure on three levels, each mutually connected with stairs. It was a
difficult structure because bright floor heights were different in each building, which means
the platform had to change its shape to connect them by going down or up a level.
Each platform was used in two floors and structure was made of two main wooden grids on
which were placed CLT floor panels. Span between wooden grind was 11,2 m which is a lot
for wooden panels so we had to add metal grid under each panel to reduce deflection.
To reduce a huge forces in metal grids by redistributing them we added steel bars that were
connecting lower metal grid with bottom chord of wooden grid.
At the top floor of platform we put another two metal grids to reduce force in top chord of
wooden grid and the fence was hanged on them.
Each grid was connected to the main buildings in two joints that were connecting chords
(gornji pojas) with column. One with the bigger force was made by cutting column and
inserting ‘I’ section made of steel. First element of the wooden grid was tension element so
we made it out of steel and it was welded to the web. ‘I’ section was fixed to the wooden
column by glued in steel bars and we added three additional stiffeners to enable bending of
web.
The other connection was made with impress lime, calculated to particular forces in each
joint.
As the platform was connecting two different levels in each building and each entrance was
separated, floor panels had to be made from more than one piece and they were not
continuous so they produced high stresses and deflections. To control them all we had to
surround it with wooden beams and add metal bars connecting beams in each level, which
will later be hided by wooden walls and not to been seen.