College Life Insurance Company of America

Also known as the Pyramids at College Park, the Kevin Roche designed headquarters for the College Life Insurance Company of America were originally intended to serve as the first three buildings in a greater campus of buildings as the company expanded over time.

Simple Plan and Geometry

The buildings are eleven stories tall and each contain approximately 120,000 square feet, and are connected by elevated walkways and underground tunnels. The structures are composed of straight-forward geometries. Each floor is open in plan, with two solid, vertical concrete walls joining the two sloped glass and steel curtain walls. Thus each level is smaller in overall area than the one lower, and the glass walls take on the behavior of both outside wall and ceiling.

Reinforced Concrete as an Essential Element

Each floor is a poured concrete slab supported by a 30 foot by 30 foot steel column grid, with low, steel-clad partitions used to section off work stations. The architects' choice to use concrete at this site is important for several reasons that affect the overall use and performance of the buildings. The Headquarters consists of two main concrete elements - the monolithic vertical walls and the floor slabs. The two walls, reinforced and joined with construction joints at regular intervals, contain all of the core functions of the building, including vertical circulation, egress, and utilities.