VGXI Headquarters: Reimagining Tilt-Up Construction with Hanbury Design
The VGXI Headquarters represents a bold departure from conventional tilt-up construction, a method often associated with utilitarian, uninspired industrial buildings. Designed by Hanbury Design, the project embraces the structural and cost efficiencies of tilt-up while pushing its architectural potential to new heights. By experimenting with panel textures, recesses, light, and shadow, the design team created a dynamic, sustainable, and flexible facility suited to both present needs and future growth. In this Q&A, the designers reflect on their process and share insights into how tilt-up can become a tool for innovation rather than limitation.
How did your design approach for the VGXI Headquarters reflect the firm’s broader philosophy, and what were the key influences behind reimagining tilt-up construction for this project?
We saw the constraints of tilt-up construction, which typically results in uninspiring architecture, as a design opportunity. Our first question was: how far can we push the panels? We consulted with local subcontractors to establish criteria—panel widths, thickness, recess depth, window openings—so we could determine the limits for creativity and innovation within a tried-and-true construction method.
The VGXI facility features four distinct panel types, each with unique textures and projections. How did this panel iteration process evolve, and what role did the alternation of these panels play in breaking up the building’s mass and enhancing its visual appeal?
We wanted to maximize natural light in occupied spaces. Budget constraints limited glazing, so we used openings strategically to break down the façade’s scale. Through multiple design iterations, we studied how light penetrated the interior, and how textures and panel types could create a dynamic façade using shade and shadow. This made the building both visually engaging and welcoming to occupants.
Tilt-up panels at VGXI create a dynamic interplay of light and shadow. Could you describe the design strategies and testing phases, particularly with chamfered edges, that helped achieve this effect?
We had only 2 inches of recess to work with before costs rose due to reinforcement needs. To test this, we built scaled physical models and discovered that even a 2-inch chamfer made a noticeable impact. By combining recess depth with changes in texture, we created the illusion of greater depth, enhancing the façade’s play of light and shadow without added cost.
The use of mock-ups during the design phase allowed for experimentation with finishes and textures. What insights did you gain through the mock-up process, and how did it shape the final design of the tilt-up panels?
We built numerous physical and digital models at varying scales and with different materials. This iterative approach allowed us to refine ideas and test real-world effects, ensuring that the final solution balanced creativity, constructability, and performance.
Sustainability was a key consideration for the VGXI project. How did the use of locally sourced materials, on-site panel casting, and strategic panel placement contribute to the building’s environmental performance, especially in Texas’s climate?
Tilt-up construction allowed us to dry the building in quickly, which was critical in the Texas heat. The flat regional landscape provided optimal space for on-site panel casting, minimizing disturbance to the surrounding landscape and ecosystems. Locally sourced materials reduced transport impacts, enhancing the building’s overall sustainability profile.
The facility’s modular design allows for future expansion without disrupting current operations. How did you approach the integration of these forty-foot-tall board-formed tilt-up panels to balance both aesthetic variety and functional flexibility for future growth?
We used board-formed textures in places where occupants would experience them up close, such as the elevator vestibule. This texture also marks the location of a future monumental stair in the planned Phase 3 expansion. By incorporating variety while planning for modularity, we balanced aesthetic richness with flexibility.
Concrete tilt-up construction often conjures images of utilitarian industrial buildings. How did the design team at VGXI challenge this preconception, particularly with regard to incorporating large openings for daylight and views—features not typically associated with laboratory settings?
We placed occupied program spaces along the building’s exterior to maximize access to daylight and views through large openings. While we maintained panel efficiency, we worked hard to integrate abundant natural light—helping the client’s goal of creating a non-sterile, inspiring workplace connected to the outdoors.
Given the success of the VGXI facility, how do you see prefab and tilt-up construction methods evolving in the future, particularly in their ability to balance architectural creativity with efficiency and sustainability?
We already see this trend in other markets and materials like mass timber. In a current higher education project, we’re prefabricating all major components—balloon-framed panels, CLT floors, and prefabricated metal stud walls. As with VGXI, we treat the constraints of prefab as opportunities to innovate, blending efficiency with architectural creativity.
