The WSU Elson S. Floyd Cultural Center is the recipient of a 2018 ACEC Washington Engineering Excellence Silver Award for Complexity. The Engineering Excellence Awards aim to recognize and elevate noteworthy engineering achievements by design teams in Washington State.
The WSU Cultural Center, which was completed by the Design-Build team Absher Construction Company, GGLO, and PCS Structural Solutions, features an undulating curved roof made with exposed custom glu-lam Port Orford cedar beams. The unique design emulates Nez Perce basket weaving traditions as well as the gently rolling hills of the Palouse region. Comprised of an expansive central common space, teaching kitchen, and four knowledge rooms for each of the traditionally underserved cultures of Washington State—Native American, Latino/Latina, Asian/Pacific Islander, and African American—the Cultural Center stands as a testament to late WSU President Elson S. Floyd’s vision for an inclusive and celebratory space that welcomes all students to Washington State University.
PCS Structural Solutions is a 70-person single-discipline structural engineering firm with offices in Seattle, Tacoma, and Portland. Founded in 1965, PCS specializes in structural engineering for buildings, including educational, civic, healthcare, commercial, and residential facilities.
