I am writing on behalf of the [certain university] SDC Team to seek clarification regarding the construction guidelines for beams in the upcoming competition. Specifically, we would like to inquire whether the use of outside beams [...] is allowable for our project. Alternatively, are we obligated to construct the beams piece by piece, [...] (with beam and column centerlines aligning)?

Question

I am writing on behalf of the [certain university] SDC Team to seek clarification regarding the construction guidelines for beams in the upcoming competition.  Specifically, we would like to inquire whether the use of outside beams [...] is allowable for our project. Alternatively, are we obligated to construct the beams piece by piece, [...] (with beam and column centerlines aligning)?

Accepted Answer

We interpreted "outside beams" as perimeter beams that connect to perimeter columns with a specific eccentricity, causing the centerline of the columns to deviate towards the inner part of the building, rather than aligning with the centerline of the beams.
Both configurations are okay according to the rules, provided that the layout provided by the outermost face of the perimeter beams is within the maximum dimensions specified for the building. Please also check that your continuous members (beams or columns) are not longer than the maximum length specified in the Design Guide.