The Opus Group was faced with a challenge to build a high-rise student living project at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign within a short timeframe. The real estate development company sought to meet the community’s increasing need for upscale student living by delivering an economically viable high-rise project within the city of Champaign’s height restrictions, but had only only 20 months to complete the project.
After evaluating different framing options, Opus specified cold-formed steel (CFS) to achieve maximum density, trim project costs and meet the tight deadline.
Seven07, Champaign, Illinois
Seven07 is a 14-story high-rise student living building, just a five minute walk to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) campus. Constructed in 2019 to revolutionize student living, the building includes three parking levels and 11 residential floors containing 548 beds in 218 units, ranging from junior studios to four-bedroom units.
The Opus Group partnered with The Carlyle Group, a global investment firm, to design, develop and construct the project. In 2021, Ascott Residence Trust acquired Seven07 for
$83.25 million.
Ranking in the top 20 among public universities in the U.S., UIUC reported a 27.5% annual growth in pre-leased student housing. A total of 44 properties contain 14,478 bedrooms to serve the students at the university, according to a Yardi Matrix report.
Steel Framing Adds Extra Story to Height-Restricted Project
Cold-formed steel (CFS) framing provided the needed structural integrity to allow for an additional residential floor to be added on the project.
With limited real estate available in close proximity to the UIUC campus, Opus had to squeeze in as much density as possible within the city’s height cap, says Matt Rauenhorst, executive vice president and general manager of Opus. The firm also had to value-engineer the Seven07 project to identify cost savings during the construction process, he says.
Opus considered designs using cement and wood framing. Ultimately, the firm decided on cold-formed steel (CFS) framing, using manufactured panels to address the tight timeline and height and density challenges of the project. It marked their first time using CFS for a project.
“We could have done 13 stories with a concrete structure,” says Rauenhorst. “However, it would have been significantly more expensive. Our design-build team truly pushed the boundaries of innovation to arrive at 14 stories, turning a site that may not have worked into one that did.”
The Steel Framing Advantage
Cold-formed steel (CFS) leads the way as the preferred framing material for prefabricated structures for multiple reasons. CFS is:
- A pre-engineered material that can be cut to exact lengths
- Dimensionally stable and does not expand or contract with changes in moisture content
- Lightweight compared to wood and concrete
- Resilient and will not warp, split, crack or creep when exposed to the elements
- Sustainable and 100% recyclable
- Durable and has a high tensile strength
- Non-combustible and is a safeguard against fire accidents
CFS Saves Millions of Dollars, Cuts Project by Months
According to Opus, CFS perfectly addressed the identified challenges within the project. Compared with the concrete alternative, CFS:
- Allowed the use of spread footings rather than a deep-foundation system due to its lightweight, resulting in considerable cost savings
- Provided the needed structural integrity with less height than concrete, allowing for the additional floor of residential space
- Increased rental income to make the project financially viable
“A lot of innovation went into this project. Not only was it our first using cold-formed steel, it also pushed the limits on height and speed of construction,” says Rauenhorst. “Compared to concrete, cold-formed steel saved hundreds of thousands of dollars and took months off the project timeline, raising the bar for cost savings significantly to several million dollars.”
The project was successfully completed in just 20 months, providing students a new housing option before the fall semester began.
The Opus Group was faced with a challenge to build a high-rise student living project at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign within a short timeframe. The real estate development company sought to meet the community’s increasing need for upscale student living by delivering an economically viable high-rise project within the city of Champaign’s height restrictions, but had only only 20 months to complete the project.
After evaluating different framing options, Opus specified cold-formed steel (CFS) to achieve maximum density, trim project costs and meet the tight deadline.
Seven07, Champaign, Illinois
Seven07 is a 14-story high-rise student living building, just a five minute walk to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) campus. Constructed in 2019 to revolutionize student living, the building includes three parking levels and 11 residential floors containing 548 beds in 218 units, ranging from junior studios to four-bedroom units.
The Opus Group partnered with The Carlyle Group, a global investment firm, to design, develop and construct the project. In 2021, Ascott Residence Trust acquired Seven07 for
$83.25 million.
Ranking in the top 20 among public universities in the U.S., UIUC reported a 27.5% annual growth in pre-leased student housing. A total of 44 properties contain 14,478 bedrooms to serve the students at the university, according to a Yardi Matrix report.
Steel Framing Adds Extra Story to Height-Restricted Project
Cold-formed steel (CFS) framing provided the needed structural integrity to allow for an additional residential floor to be added on the project.
With limited real estate available in close proximity to the UIUC campus, Opus had to squeeze in as much density as possible within the city’s height cap, says Matt Rauenhorst, executive vice president and general manager of Opus. The firm also had to value-engineer the Seven07 project to identify cost savings during the construction process, he says.
Opus considered designs using cement and wood framing. Ultimately, the firm decided on cold-formed steel (CFS) framing, using manufactured panels to address the tight timeline and height and density challenges of the project. It marked their first time using CFS for a project.
“We could have done 13 stories with a concrete structure,” says Rauenhorst. “However, it would have been significantly more expensive. Our design-build team truly pushed the boundaries of innovation to arrive at 14 stories, turning a site that may not have worked into one that did.”
The Steel Framing Advantage
Cold-formed steel (CFS) leads the way as the preferred framing material for prefabricated structures for multiple reasons. CFS is:
- A pre-engineered material that can be cut to exact lengths
- Dimensionally stable and does not expand or contract with changes in moisture content
- Lightweight compared to wood and concrete
- Resilient and will not warp, split, crack or creep when exposed to the elements
- Sustainable and 100% recyclable
- Durable and has a high tensile strength
- Non-combustible and is a safeguard against fire accidents
CFS Saves Millions of Dollars, Cuts Project by Months
According to Opus, CFS perfectly addressed the identified challenges within the project. Compared with the concrete alternative, CFS:
- Allowed the use of spread footings rather than a deep-foundation system due to its lightweight, resulting in considerable cost savings
- Provided the needed structural integrity with less height than concrete, allowing for the additional floor of residential space
- Increased rental income to make the project financially viable
“A lot of innovation went into this project. Not only was it our first using cold-formed steel, it also pushed the limits on height and speed of construction,” says Rauenhorst. “Compared to concrete, cold-formed steel saved hundreds of thousands of dollars and took months off the project timeline, raising the bar for cost savings significantly to several million dollars.”
The project was successfully completed in just 20 months, providing students a new housing option before the fall semester began.
Article cited by BUILDSTEEL