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The New Porsche Dealership in Austin: “Eight Levels of Endless Possibility”

Texas boasts the second-largest GDP in the U.S. behind California and boasts a young, fast-growing economy. Austin ranks as the #1 Tech Town and has several “Best” and “Hottest” labels, like U.S. Cities for Starting a Business, Places to Live in America, Hottest Big City Labor Market, and the list goes on. Considered the new high-tech corridor, Austin tech jobs represent more than 17 percent of all jobs in the area, compared to just nine percent nationally.

As Austin grows, so does the appetite for luxury cars, and the Hill Country is the perfect place to take a scenic and technical test drive. Hi Tech Motorcars, the Austin-based, family-run luxury auto dealer, expanded the Porsche dealership, and go big or go home could have easily been the moto. The tech workers are, after all, primary Porsche customers.

Ultra-Tec Railings in Austin

The new 186,000-square-foot facility, coined “eight levels of endless possibility,” is located in the Arboretum area of Austin. President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), Kjell Gruner, notes the facility “is designed with the customer in mind.” The $40 million project is, at the time of its opening, the largest Porsche dealership in the nation. 

Designed by Gensler, the dealership captures the brand’s “design values through inventive details.” It features a sunken coffee and customer lounge with views of the 30-stall state-of-the-art service center. It also includes an impressive two-story showroom, including classic and vintage Porsche lines. From the outside, your eye wanders to the rooftop sales lot showcasing ten Porsche cars with a remarkable window and lighting display using halo LED colored lighting above each car.

The design details capture the changing culture of retail. “If you want to know what the future of retail looks like, here you can see a great example of what defines excellence,” said Gruner in a press release statement by the company. He noted that the dealership’s design is centered on creating Porsche Passion. The environment exudes luxury, and the open sightlines add to the experience like the addition of cable railing to define areas of the showroom.

The project initially called for a glass infill, and there was a last-minute design change to a stainless-steel cable infill. The design parameters called for six-foot spacing between posts. “The railing had to serve as a vehicle barrier to keep the cars from being driven off the balcony,” said Wayne Uecker, owner of Texas Railing Systems, the fabricator and installer located in Kerrville, Texas.

The railing was a one-of-a-kind design. The railing framework, made from custom stainless-steel extrusions, includes 400 linear feet of Ultra-tec 1/4-inch diameter cable with Invisiware® fittings for a concealed and sleek finish. 

Because the design called for six-foot spans with the cable infill, we had Ultra-tec's engineering do some work so we could make it all work. The end posts had to be extremely sturdy - Wayne Uecker

Texas Railing Systems was the last trade and installation in the dealership because of the extra engineering needed to ensure a safe and secure railing. Saving the best for last is on par with Porsche’s design values and details.

A Systematic Approach to Enhance Value, Lower Cost and Maintain Function

One of the most misunderstood processes in the building industry, from construction to engineering to product manufacturing, is value engineering. Value engineering is “a systematic approach that seeks to enhance value by eliminating unnecessary cost while maintaining function.” 

For most, the term value means low cost or budget-cutting, thereby reducing quality when defining the value is different for everyone and doesn’t always mean cutting costs.

The main objective of value engineering is to achieve the best value —maintenance, durability, long-term viability, aesthetics, and more — not just cutting costs.

 

Value engineering is not a new trendy term. During World War II, the country experienced material, parts, and a skilled labor shortage. At the time, General Electric engineers set out to source alternative and acceptable materials and components to continue manufacturing without compromising the integrity of the products.

Lawrence Miles, touted as the father of value engineering, lead the charge at General Electric, and today his value engineering techniques are used throughout the world. The Lawrence D. Miles Value Foundation advances the value engineering methodology with educational programs, international conferences and forums, new applications, and a research library.

Today, engineering and construction firms and product manufacturers employ a value engineering process. Each follows its standards and phases to achieve the end goal: to increase value at a low cost while maintaining optimal functionality. Value engineering is required for almost all government and military projects as well.

The process of value engineering is best when performed in the design phase. The subject matter expert involved in the project can incorporate the best options to improve the value from both the project and product perspective.

 

Value Engineering and Cable Railing Specification

There are many components to consider when specifying cable railing — number of posts, stainless steel cable, fittings, hardware — and installation, whether it’s new construction or a retrofit. Maximizing post placement and the frame integrity can significantly change the fittings and hardware used on the project and affect the bottom-line cost.

Using a rooftop deck as an example, install a double post in each corner opposite the building (or other structure) and a terminating post offset about two- to three-inches from the building for easy tensioning. This combination offers the most support and a smaller, concealed tensioner fitting option using our concealed Invisiware® receivers for a clean and seamless appearance. It also enables the cable to run continuously through the length of the run and through all posts, in most cases, — even around corners — without stopping and starting at each post.

In contrast, if using a single corner post option, the cable will typically terminate at each corner. In this scenario, the cable stops and starts at each post increasing the number of fittings required. Stopping and starting more often not only drives up cost, but it also changes the aesthetics and most importantly the integrity of the frame. That significantly increases the amount of tension on that single post, which jeopardizes the strength of the frame and its ability to maintain properly tensioned cables adding to the overall cost of the project.

At first glance, double corner posts may not seem aesthetically appealing until you compare it to the added exposed fittings required for a single termination post. See for yourself how you can achieve the high-end look with an unobstructed view using a double corner post setup for a cost-effective, seamless, and modern finish.

Value Engineering is not a one-size-fits-all process that simply cuts costs to save the budget. A holistic view of the project and the specifications are necessary to offer a beneficial solution that meets the customer’s goals without compromising functionality.

Commercial Vertical Cable with Invisiware® Receivers

Law offices move to higher ground with impressive style

Haynes & Boone, LLP, one of Houston’s largest corporate law clients, recently moved to higher ground—occupying the 38th, 39th, and 40th floors in the LyondellBasell Tower Houston Center property, an urban, mixed-use office campus in the center of downtown. The client recently completed a multi-million-dollar renovation improvement, designed by Houston-based Kirksey Architecture and remodeled by HITT.

The public area located on the 40th floor consists of half reception and half office area. “We wanted to create a very welcoming hospitality-like space and used high-end finishes in warm and earth tones blending stone, antique bronze interior glazing frames and wall cladding, and rich velvet fabrics,” said Liang Wu, AIA, LEED AP, and senior associate at Kirksey Architecture. A lovely welcoming statement for visitors.

 

Interconnecting stairs make an entrance

The previous space, also three floors, featured an interconnecting stair system between floors, and the client wanted the same for the new space. Instead of using the existing stair in place, Kirksey Architecture designed new interconnecting stairs within the general office area. Local fabricator Hybrid Fab, known for its architectural metal design, fabrication, and installation expertise, fabricated the decorative metal around the stairs.

The stair treads were finished with a neutral color to blend seamlessly with the high-end look and feel of the space, using LVT (luxury vinyl tile) resembling a natural wood. The landings on the office floors — 38 and 39 — use more durable materials like porcelain tile with a marble pattern and LVT to endure day-to-day use, while the reception features natural wood consistent with the high-end finishes for the client’s guests.

Cable railing adds creative element

Taking a cue from the resimercial design trend — merging residential aesthetics into commercial spaces — to boost employee creativity and innovation, Kirksey showed the client images of inspiration during the design phase. One of the design elements, cable railings for the interconnected stair system, the client liked, and it became a focal point.

The drawings called for suspended vertical cables, and there are 55 cables on either side of the stairway. Kirksey engaged with Hybrid Fab to design the cable railings.

Blair Corporation, Hybrid Fab’s go-to for cable railing installations, sent a variety of Ultra-tec cable diameters to consider for the project. Hybrid Fab conducted 10-foot vertical tensioning testing with the cable. When you tension all 55 cables at 220 psi, that’s a lot of pulled weight and the area couldn’t span that much tension vertically.

“It was at that time we knew the cable would become a decorative element rather than a structural matter,” said Wu. “We used full height structural glass for the vertical span in conjunction with a stainless-steel guard rail for code compliance.”

 

Quality products offer unobstructed views

Jack Blair, owner of Blair Corporation, and his crew installed Ultra-tec cables using Invisiware® fittings and accessories for an impressive finish to complement the overall design aesthetics. “Ultra-tec offers a very consistent, high quality product and well thought out design,” said Blair. “Ultra-tec’s products are easy to work with and install.”

With sweeping views of the city from virtually all four sides of the office building, material choices mattered. The use of cable railings offers unobstructed views, and now employees of Haynes and Boone can enjoy from their office and while using the interconnecting stairs. An excellent office perk for all.

Texas Hill Invisiware® Installation

On a small private ranch, nestled in the trees in the Texas Hill Country, is a residential home on the edge of a bluff with impressive views. There are four elevations of the house, and on the second floor, boasts a wrap-around deck.

One of the unique things Texas Railing Systems owner, Wayne Uecker, noticed when looking at the plans was a 40-foot-long ramp that ran from the ground level to the second floor. “It was a steep ramp not made for ADA use because it was only four-feet-wide.” The ramp was, however, built for the owners’ dogs. 

First, Texas Railing Systems installed cable railings and fittings for the full wrap-around deck and stair runs. During this installation, using the CR Laurence aluminum railing system as the framework, crews with Texas Railing Systems installed Ultra-tec’s Invisiware® 1/8-inch cable, a tropical hardwood for the top rail. This showcased a striking appearance. It’s no surprise that the project won a top place in the 2020 Ultra-tec Photo Contest.

cable railing system on deck
interior cable railing system

Enhanced Aesthetic

“Ultra-tec’s Invisiware is our cable railing fitting preference; it is sleek and nearly invisible hardware,” said Mr. Uecker. “The hardware is easy to adjust and is our first choice go-to for cable products. Moreover, it’s incorporated into our standard fabrications.”

Texas Railing Systems is a leading architectural contemporary railing specialty company. They have more than one thousand projects throughout the Texas Hill Country. They have long-standing relationships in commercial, residential, and manufacturing, including their long-time supplier, Cable Art.

“Above all, we feel Ultra-tec is a superior product line for our cable business,” added Mr. Uecker.

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