Project: Florida State Capitol - Tallahassee, FL
Architect: Hoy + Stark Architects
Landscape Architect: Patrick Hodges/The Patrick Hodges Land Studio
Civil Contractor: M of Tallahassee, Inc.
General Contractor: Ajax Building Corp.

Contributing Manufacturer: Jonite®

Material: Jonite® Stone (Reinforced) Grates - 24” Custom Heel-Guard Ventilation Grates 
Pattern/Color: Palm Design in Ash Grey

Senate side: 460 pcs 24” Custom Heel Guard Grate (Square Footage = 1,840 ft²)
House Side: 353 pcs 24” Custom Heel Guard Grate (Square Footage = 1412 ft²)

After the discovery of potentially life-threatening structural damage to the Senate parking garage, renovations began on the 40-year-old Florida State Capitol Complex plaza. The unique design of the original parking garage included planters built into the garage rooftops. As the trees planted into the planters matured, the root systems grew, compromising the waterproofing system and structural integrity of the parking garage. The main support girder that held up the garage was also cracking under the massive weight from the soil and landscaping above.

The project began in 2016 with the removal of 7300 tons of topsoil and over 150 trees. Great effort was made to preserve as many existing trees as possible during construction. New drainage systems were installed to cope with excess water from storms and to protect against flooding & leakage. Jonite® supplied the reinforced stone drain grates that are used throughout the renovated plaza. Jonite’s Palm design provides a beautiful focal point with the intricate leaf-inspired design pattern and granite texture in the color of Ash Grey. With low heat absorption and dielectric properties equivalent to porcelain, Jonite makes for an excellent electrical insulator - a significant plus point in times of tropical thunderstorms.

A fortunate benefit of the structural repair for visitors to the Florida Capitol is improved open plaza areas, providing additional gathering spaces, improved pedestrian traffic flow, new lighting and landscaping. The Senate side work is now complete. Work on the House side, which will also include Jonite grating, is scheduled to be completed towards the end of 2020.

Learn more > Jonite® Stone (Reinforced) Grates