Spectrum Design Architecs | Engineers

Roanoke Cement Company Corporate Offices

Troutville, Virginia

Roanoke Cement Company LLC, the only active cement plant in Virginia, won the Governor’s Environmental Award for its 1990s plant modernization.

When Titan America, Inc., the firm’s parent company, recognized the need for new administrative offices at Roanoke Cement, they felt it was important that the project build upon their corporate commitment to sustainable development. Spectrum Design was selected to help them achieve this goal, while also designing the building to illustrate that concrete is a durable, desirable construction material.

Recycling existing space, Spectrum Design converted a former cement packhouse into a modern, 25,000-square-foot facility that promotes sustainable design elements and exemplifies the many uses of concrete throughout. The Titan America-Roanoke Cement office building has been registered with the U.S. Green Building Council under the LEED rating system. The new headquarters incorporates renewable building materials using recycled resources, many of them local. Low emitting paints and carpets contribute to healthy indoor air quality and sustainable plumbing fixtures were installed to recycle and conserve water consumption. High performance windows with low heat-emitting glass were put in to retain heat and the addition of an EnergyStar roof has also improved heating and air conditioning efficiency by more than 20% over national standards, reducing and maintaining costs.

The building features a concrete entry, concrete ceilings, and stained concrete floors and countertops. Utilizing the 1950s-era structure’s strengths, Spectrum Design retained the high, open spaces and available natural light to create an open, light-filled office environment. The existing concrete shell is contrasted by brightly-colored work spaces.

Spectrum Design successfully helped Roanoke Cement meet their objectives for the Titan America-Roanoke Cement building by humanizing the harsh concrete structure of the building and incorporating energy-efficient principles. Their work has showcased the versatility of concrete as a construction material, and has provided solid proof that industrial buildings can be environmentally sustainable.