Complex Precast Surfaces Unfold on Perot Museum of Nature & Science

Gate modeled over 100,000 sf of intricate precast panels

Ross Perot, former presidential candidate and a major donor to Dallas' new Museum of Nature & Science, attended a ceremony March 10, 2011, marking the placement of the final beam in the construction of the Perot Museum of Nature & Science in Dallas, TX. Thom Mayne of Morphosis Architects designed the new 180,000-square-foot museum and was also among those who signed the beam. http://www.statesman.com/news/texas/perot-takes-part-in-museum-ceremony-1312723.html
The museum is designed to be viewed as a massive cube floating over the landscape. Initially, the exterior was undetermined. Gate Precast’s Hillsboro, TX division worked with the design team to define the cladding through the creation of mockups with varying horizontal striations. The panel design incorporates both convex and concave horizontal striations. The random combinations lend striking shadows and the striations give way to smooth concrete surfaces on higher levels of the building.
http://www.gateprecast.com/#/projects/perot-museum-of-nature-and-science

Horizontal Striations Visible in Four Panels Stacked Together

Gate’s BIM operators modeled over 100,000 square of precast cladding on museum's exterior which was integrated into the structure’s final 3-D model. Company-wide, Gate has 38 trained BIM users and has modeled 2,000,000 square feet of architectural precast concrete.
http://www.gateprecast.com/#/design-assistance/bim
The museum is scheduled to open in early 2013. Watch the progress of the Perot Museum at
http://www.natureandscience.org/expansion/default.asp

Contact Gate Precast for Design Assistance on Future Projects and Visualize Your Project Before It’s Built.  
http://www.gateprecast.com/#/design-assistance/design-assistance-request