EcoScreen

Why Choose CENTRIA
Design Innovation
Why Choose CENTRIA
September 7, 2021 at 3:31 pm 0

While there is a plethora of metal panel systems in the market, very few, if any, offer a high level of expertise and support throughout all stages of a building project.

With its dedicated stable of designers and engineers waiting in the wings, CENTRIA is the exception.

Even before a project goes to bid, CENTRIA’s experts can address product applications, metal panel options, custom details and ensuring the desired design is installable. The team is on hand in a design-assist capacity through final installation and even afterwards, providing engineering design support to improve an as-built condition.

Whereas many companies will present a metal panel option, explain in general terms where it can be applied and then disappear, CENTRIA sees its project through, giving a level of support that is unique to the industry.

Another differentiator is the company’s diverse product line and ability and willingness to highly customize systems to meet an architect’s unique design needs.

For example, the selected insulated metal panel system might butt up against a rainscreen, which would require some custom trims and extrusions to make it work. Many manufacturers would not invest in such a project, or might not have the expertise to execute such a design. On the contrary, CENTRIA embraces these challenges, rolls up its sleeves and comes up with a solution.

“We like to push the ‘never say never’ attitude and don’t get stuck only coloring in between the lines,” relates Ralph Bertram, product applications manager, CENTRIA. “We really push our designs further with additional customization. Designed to last the life-time of a structure, we hang our hat on that and take a lot of pride.”

For example, the architect might want to specify a particular panel, but it may not be the best choice for the application or budget. Rather than turning down the project, CENTRIA’s team of internal detailers and structural engineers will put their heads together to come up with alternatives to meet the project’s performance and aesthetic needs.

The solution might be as simple as suggesting that the metal panel be attached with a metal stud as opposed to a wood frame, but whatever the case may be, CENTRIA’S experts are on hand to make the project work.

Repeat Customers

The long-term result of this level of customer service is a stable of architecture firms turning to CENTRIA for its metal paneling needs. Take Ewing Cole, for example. Ranked #18 on Building Design+Construction’s top architecture/engineering firms list, Ewing Cole recently collaborated with CENTRIA to upgrade Clover Park, the New York Mets Port St. Lucie, Fla. training facility and minor league ballpark.

Working hand-in-hand with the architect, CENTRIA customized 17,000 square feet of Intercept Entyre modular metal panels, 8,000 square feet of CS- 200 concealed fastener panels and 1,000 square feet of perforated EcoScreen BR5-36 screenwalls.

Meeting hurricane zone requirements and providing a high level of UV ray resistance, the Intercept Entyre system was ideal for this Sunshine State project. CENTRIA’S engineers worked closely with Ewing Cole to develop customized Intercept Entyre ¾” and CS-200 concealed fastener panels in a custom Mets blue, Gentian Blue, yellow and orange colors. The interactive fins line the ballpark’s exterior, showcasing famous Mets players.

Another Ewing Cole project called for CENTRIA’s Concept Series CS-660 panels with MicroSeam Corners and Ecoscreen Perforated Screenwall for the WakeMed Central Energy Plant supporting WakeMed North Hospital in Raleigh, N.C. The system’s concealed fastener panels and common-lock joinery supports Ewing Code’s custom ventilated metal design. Stand-off clips ensure proper ventilation and a drainage plane, and allows for thermal and seismic movements.

The perforated screenwall supports airflow and close-in panel placement and the corrugated style matches the panels on the main hospital.

Standing Out in the Crowd

From sports arenas to hospitals to museums to bio-tech companies to schools, CENTRIA offers industry-leading metal panels for aesthetics, sustainability and design flexibility.

In applying a big spool of steel coil, CENTRIA’s unique manufacturing process involves leveling the steel to make it extremely flat and smooth, which is a very sought after industry feature. Together with an embossed finish, this covers up any imperfections and delivers a very high-end architectural panel. In addition, the insulating foam bakes into the metal panel, as opposed to lamination, thereby eliminating air pockets.

The foam is made from halogen free, environmentally friendly polyisocyanurate and the panels are treated with coatings containing PVDF resin for a more durable finish.

The panels come in an extensive palette of sizes, profiles, textures and colors, and as noted, can be highly customized to meet every project’s unique needs.

 

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Why Get LEED Certified?
Sustainability
Why Get LEED Certified?
June 23, 2021 at 2:53 pm 0

Regarded as the building industry’s gold standard, the U.S. Green Buildings Council LEED certification program offers a long list of economic, health and wellness benefits. From its introduction in 1998 to late 2019, the USGBC had already reached the milestone of registering and certifying 100,000 commercial projects.

The four-tiered system offers a basic certification, silver, gold and platinum, and is based on a 110 point system where buildings can earn credits in eight different categories.

Boosting an organization’s commitment to sustainability and public image, LEED-certified buildings have been proven to deliver significant energy efficiencies and cost savings.

In fact, after analyzing the monthly energy consumption data of more than 175,000 commercial buildings in Los Angeles over a period of seven years, in “The effectiveness of U.S. energy efficiency building labels,” UCLA and Georgia Tech researchers reported 30 percent more energy savings in LEED-certified buildings.

CENTRIA’s Formawall® insulated metal panels and EcoScreen® perforated panels contributed toward a LEED Platinum certification for Mission College’s Student Engagement Center in Santa Clara, Calif.

In another study, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory reports close to 20 percent lower maintenance costs for LEED buildings as compared to a typical commercial building.

Further, a Porter Novelli-conducted survey of more than 1,000 workers found that a high percentage of employees prefer LEED-certified facilities with 79% prioritizing a job in a LEED building and more than 80% reporting enhanced productivity in these settings.

“Studies have found that LEED-certified buildings can help companies attract talented employees,” states Don Catalano, president and CEO of the Melville, N.Y.-based commercial real estate consultant REoptimizer. “Plus, worker satisfaction in LEED-certified offices tends to be high, decreasing employee turnover.”

In one of these studies, “The Impact of Green Buildings on Cognitive Function,” Harvard and SUNY researchers found that occupants of high-performing green buildings showed higher cognitive function scores, fewer sick-building symptoms and higher sleep quality scores than workers in high-performing buildings without green certification.

"Green certification, thermal conditions and lighting influenced worker perception of their space as well as their cognitive function,” states Joe Allen, assistant professor at Harvard University’s School of Public Health and co-author of the report. “Good companies know the value of providing a healthy workspace. Healthy buildings are a recruiting tool, after all.”

Metal Panels and LEED

While a number of green building materials, systems and strategies can help building owners qualify for LEED certification, high quality metal roofing and panels are particularly effective toward this end.

In a Metal Construction Association-sponsored continuing education unit on sustainability, Gloria D. Lee, principal, Swift Lee Office Architects, Pasadena, Calif., states, “Metal walls and roof systems contribute to a high-performing building envelope in so many ways.”

The panels are long-lasting, low maintenance, moisture and mold resistant, and thermally efficient, and the roofs offer a high solar reflectance index (SRI) to keep roofs and interiors cooler. Metal roofs can also be integrated with photovoltaic and rainwater harvesting systems for enhanced energy and water efficiencies.

                               CENTRIA’s Formawall® system played an important role in helping Pittsburgh’s Tower 260 achieve LEED Silver certification.

Breaking it Down

For LEED v4’s eight categories, metal walls and panels can directly contribute to credits in four main areas and indirectly in an additional two areas.

Sustainable Sites – By meeting designated initial and three-year aged Solar Reflectance Index values for steep slope and low slope roofs in the Heat Island Effect category, buildings can earn up to 2 points with cool metal roofs and coatings. Because prefabricated metal systems require a minimal staging area, they support the pursuit of an additional point through Site Development. In addition, metal roofs are a great platform for Rainwater Management which can help projects earn up to 3 points.

In turn, rainwater management can contribute to Outdoor Water Use and Indoor Water Use credits in the Water Efficiency category.

Energy and AtmosphereFor Optimize Energy Performance, metal systems can help buildings cash in on a windfall of LEED points. With its high insulating value and thermal performance, insulated metal panels (IMP), for instance, can contribute up to 18 points. As validated through energy models, thermal efficient building enclosures support downsized HVAC systems and reduced electrical loads. Though indirect, metal facades and roofs incorporate windows and skylights, which, along with perforated panels, support up to 3 points in Daylight credits. In addition, metal roofs support PV panels and solar thermal systems to garner up to 3 points for Renewable Energy Production.

Materials and Resources – IMPs can also make a significant contribution in a number of categories here. Starting with Building Life Cycle Impact Reduction, up to 5 credits are available for optimized environmental performance of products, materials and adaptive reuse. Another 3 points are available for performing a Whole-Building Life-Cycle Assessment with the assistance of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), which many building product companies, particularly metal panel manufacturers have developed. EPDs can add another point for Building Product Disclosure and Optimization, a category which grants a second point for Sourcing of Raw Materials.

Another subcategory is Material Ingredients where projects can earn one point toward Building Product Disclosure and a second credit via Optimization. With its high recycled content, metal panels are a great advantage here.

For Construction and Demolition Waste Management, prefabricated metal systems significantly reduce waste, contributing up to 2 points.

Indoor Environmental QualityBy specifying products and systems, such as metal walls and roofs with Low-Emitting Materials, another 3 points can be collected here.

Making the Grade

As building owners and architects evaluate many materials, products and systems in their quest to design a LEED-certified building, high quality metal roof and wall panels are a great way to get there.

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Design Innovation
New Metal Trends Update
April 1, 2021 at 9:06 pm 0

The metal building industry continues to grow and evolve, which may be spurred on by the hopefulness of a post-pandemic world later this year. This is a good time, then, to get updated on some of the trends and developments that have been emerging in the past few years and are likely to continue strong into the foreseeable future. Some of the most notable innovations that are fast becoming trends in exterior metal wall panels and facades are as follows:

Finishes: The latest exterior metal panel coatings are a pre-finished decorative system that accurately simulates more expensive natural finishes, including wood and specialty metals. Using high performance, field-proven print coating technology, an innovative metal print coat finish system can be used on both steel and aluminum substrates, offering significant cost savings along with lower maintenance than the natural materials they emulate. The coating is available in twelve print coat patterns and colors, is low maintenance, offers exceptional dirt and stain resistance, and provides excellent UV resistance. Further, the outstanding adhesion and color consistency of these coatings means that the panels will continue to look uniform over the life of the buildings they are used on. CENTRIA offers finishes that do all of this under the “Impressions” line.

Bold Three-Dimensional Facades: Metal panels used in single-skin rainscreen façades are now readily available with curves and bold, sloped-rib profiles. While corrugated metal panels have been available and in use for some time, these new panels use the play of light and shadow to create a complex wall relief that has not been available before in corrugated metal wall panels. In addition to innovative aesthetics, the same performance associated with conventional metal rainscreen products can be achieved. The panels may be installed in a variety of horizontal or vertical rainscreen applications to form a complete wall system. The “Cascade” line is offered by CENTRIA as part of this visual trend.

Modular Aesthetics: A modular metal panel system can change conventional thought on what a rainscreen wall system should look like. A coordinated system of smaller, modular panels in a variety of colors and finishes can be used by artistic façade designers to inspire spectacular visual results. Since there are plenty of finish choices, the combinations of patterns and appearances is only limited by the designer’s imagination. The modular design of such a system means that either vertical or horizontal installations can be incorporated. Modular metal panels are available in standard coil-coated aluminum substrate, post-anodized aluminum, zinc, and other natural metals. Further, they are available in a variety of panel design options including flat, tapered, or perforated. The “Intercept” product line is the CENTRIA system that can be used to take advantage of this trend.

Perforated Panels: There are design and performance reasons where certain facades can benefit from a light, airy, aesthetic or allow air to flow through on purpose. In these cases, a perforated metal panel can be the best choice. Typically, such panels are created using a unique fabrication process applied to 20-gauge stainless steel or 0.040" painted aluminum. This means that the building can blend with their surroundings with a material that will hold up very well over time. The amount of perforation can vary and be specified between 10% - 40% of the panel area to provide an airy aesthetic that controls light and air movement making it an ideal choice for concealing equipment. The panels can be installed either vertically or horizontally to suit particular project needs. CENTRIA offers perforated panels in a variety of product lines, but a full system is found in “EcoScreen Perforated Screenwalls”.

Insulated Metal Panels: The combination of rigid foam insulation and an interior and exterior metal skin produces insulated metal panels (IMPs). Used in commercial and industrial buildings where energy performance and expedited construction processes are important, IMPs provide a one-step solution to provide interior and exterior finish, insulation, plus an effective air and vapor barrier. The lightweight panels provide tremendous design flexibility, ease of installation with long lengths, various finish options. and superior weather resistance. They can be installed vertically or horizontally to suit the aesthetics of large-scale commercial and industrial buildings such as warehouses, industrial facilities, schools, and shopping centers. From a performance standpoint, the insulation creates a thermal break between the face and liner to save energy. A factory-applied panel joint sealant, together with field-applied sealant, create an air and vapor barrier that provides outstanding results. They are also available with factory-formed sheet metal flashing or extruded aluminum trim. The “Versawall” (vertical or horizontal) product line is offered by CENTRIA in this category of trending metal walls. 

To find out more about any of these trends in building facades that use metal panels, visit the CENTRIA website or contact your local CENTRIA Representative.

 

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CENTRIA® EcoScreen® Defines Garmin HQ Parking Garage
Design Innovation
CENTRIA® EcoScreen® Defines Garmin HQ Parking Garage
August 28, 2019 at 8:00 am 0

CENTRIA® EcoScreen® served as a key design element to the new, four-floor parking garage for the Garmin Headquarters located in Olanthe, KS. Approximately 25,000 square feet of product was specified and selected for the entire building exterior, fulfilling a key design objective while also providing a signature look.

“Design inspiration came, in part, through some of Garmin’s products; they have a clean appearance and are long-lasting,” says Dan Zeller, Principal, Gould Evans Associates, the architecture firm responsible for the design. “CENTRIA EcoScreen had the clean lines we sought. We also appreciated the depth of the flutes on the metal siding and the fact that it was a long-lasting material. It is a top-quality metal product.”

EcoScreen Perforated Screenwalls are created through a unique fabrication process that utilizes 20-gauge stainless steel and 0.040" [1mm] painted aluminum. The result is a 10% - 40% open area that provides an airy aesthetic and controls light and air movement, while elegantly blending industrial and other applications with their surroundings.

Across the 185,000 square-foot parking garage and addition, EcoScreen softens the building’s large scale and enables the delicate diffusion of light into the structure, creating the ideal blend of privacy and illumination.

“We wanted a material that wouldn’t rust over time, that would provide a sharp, clean appearance, and that also had deep shadow lines to break down the scale of the garage and provide some opacity for security purposes,” says Zeller.

The Garmin HQ parking garage provides an additional 964 spaces and was part of a $200 million overall campus redevelopment project. The structure itself was completed in April 2017, and the architect was Gould Evans Associates. The general contractor was McCown Gordon and the CENTRIA dealer was Mays-Maune-McWard, Inc.

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Unlocking Design Potential
Design Innovation
Unlocking Design Potential
January 23, 2018 at 1:15 pm 0

Energy plant unifies the $88 million WakeMed North Healthcare Campus. 

The central energy plant serves an important role as the electric and HVAC heart of many academic or healthcare campuses. All too often, though, the overlooked facilities are geared toward a utilitarian, design-challenged aesthetic. After all, it's just the central energy plant, right?

Not to Ryan Wilborne, AIA, LEED AP, at BBH Design, a Raleigh, N.C.-based full-service design shop specializing in healthcare and higher education projects. Wilborne takes polite exception to the central energy plant’s ugly duckling status: “Infrastructure buildings can be beautiful.” (more…)

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Home Run in Birmingham
Expert Analysis
Home Run in Birmingham
September 17, 2017 at 9:40 pm 0

Regions Field’s custom metal façade is a statement of civic pride.

From the front office to the dugout, members of the Birmingham Barons Double-A baseball club will tell you their success is the result of a total team effort. The same is true for the dedicated professionals behind the club’s award-winning ballpark, Regions Field.

The aesthetic focal point of the ballpark is the city’s name, cut in towering letters with a unique, inside-out effect. (more…)

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Urban Context
Design Innovation
Urban Context
September 20, 2016 at 7:59 pm 0

For an environment where durability and security are paramount, metal provides a functional and attractive solution.

Building a new elementary school in a busy urban environment like Los Angeles comes with many opportunities and challenges. When Irvine, California-based architectural firm gkkworks was contracted to design the Sally Ride Elementary project for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the designers wanted to create a community asset that would be a positive improvement to the physical construct of the neighborhood while assisting LAUSD with student achievement through architecture and performance-based design. (more…)

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