MetalWrap

Bringing an Abandoned Space Back to Life
Design Innovation
Bringing an Abandoned Space Back to Life
November 25, 2019 at 9:28 pm 0

 

Retrofit projects are extremely varied and diverse in nature. From taking a former strip mall and transforming it into a central courts facility, to upgrading former industrial buildings for mixed-use purposes, retrofit is an innovative way to bring new life to abandoned or empty structures.

Vacant lots and dilapidated buildings are always an eyesore, and new construction on unused space can enhance an area, creating fresh vibrancy and, at times, a new focal point for the community. Out on Holbrook, Long Island, a Unique Fitness facility sought to take advantage of one such empty site, bringing a new, vibrant fitness center to the area.

Formerly an abandoned and blighted Holbrook construction site, located on Long Island along Veterans Memorial Highway between Sunrise Highway and MacArthur Airport, the area was transformed into the 42,000 square foot Unique Fitness outlet – the fourth of its kind in Suffolk County and the company’s largest location. An existing structure, a 350-foot-long abandoned office building that has been on-site since the early 2000s, was incorporated into the project.

Consequently, the design team had a large space with which to work, and they required a top-performing product that united aesthetics and energy efficiency. They ultimately selected approximately 29,000 square feet of CENTRIA MetalWrap™ insulated composite backup panels, augmented with 15,000 square feet of Concept Series single-skin rainscreen panels to complete the façade.

“We chose to use MetalWrap because of the insulation benefits and how it conforms to stringent local energy requirements,” says Tyler Fox, Project Manager, JM2 Architecture, the firm responsible for the design. “To have the building fully weather-tight with MetalWrap while still working on the exterior was a very attractive advantage from the start. Complete, it looks beautiful and we were able to achieve a modern look while keeping with the branding colors of Unique Fitness.”

CENTRIA MetalWrap insulated composite panels can serve as a backup wall for nearly any type of exterior rainscreen system, from single-skin metal to brick, terra cotta, and others. The system can achieve energy efficiency goals with a single component that eliminates the need for conventional batt or board insulation, exterior gypsum, air barriers, vapor retarders, and building wraps. The MetalWrap system's single-component construction also means a single source of responsibility, which means less coordination, fewer scheduling and interface issues, and one-step installation.

“The CENTRIA panels met what we were looking for aesthetically and made the most sense for us regarding performance and installation benefits,” says Fox.

CENTRIA Concept Series single-skin rainscreen panels also contribute to the Unique Fitness façade. The system possesses an unbroken appearance that further adds to the product's aesthetic versatility.

The Unique Fitness facility was completed in March 2019. The architect was JM2 Architecture and the CENTRIA product was installed by Above All Store Fronts.

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Construction Spotlight
Panel Discussion
Construction Spotlight
April 11, 2018 at 7:40 pm 0

Navy Federal Credit Union Campus showcases turnkey design and performance.

The world's largest credit union turned to a single-source metal building envelope system by CENTRIA for its massive, $195 million expansion project.

Navy Federal Credit Union made plans for a multi-phase expansion of its Pensacola, FL campus to meet the demands of immense business growth in recent years. The first phase of the expansion includes a three-story office building, a central energy plant and a five-level, 347,500-square-foot parking deck.

The second phase, currently under construction, incorporates additional office facilities. The project also encompasses surface parking as well as bridges, roads, walking paths, stormwater retention features and other infrastructure.

Designed by multi-disciplinary architectural firm ASD | SKY to meet LEED Silver certification standards, the office buildings rely on CENTRIA’s MetalWrap insulated composite backup panels as the primary building envelope component. This highly sustainable backup system integrates seamlessly with CENTRIA's Intercept modular metal panels for the best in performance and aesthetics.  

Intercept Entyre panels, showcased in both an aluminum substrate and zinc from RHEINZINK, deliver exceptionally modern aesthetics to the state-of-the-art office facilities. The Intercept system provides a unique level of aesthetic variation in panel size and shape. The light-gauge, monolithic aluminum sheets offer an economical solution for complex panel applications.

Designers also incorporated CENTRIA’s Paradigm rainscreen panels with MicroSeam Corners. This unique product allows architects to choose from CENTRIA’s library of standard shapes or tailor a project-specific profile with customized module parameters, including panel depth and rib count, geometry, and spacing. The ability to create a unique building façade with limitless polygonal rib designs permits a new level of variation in shadow relief.

Intercept and Paradigm panels available as a total rainscreen wall system when combined with MetalWrap insulated composite backup panels. MetalWrap panels are designed with CENTRIA’s innovative advanced thermal and moisture protection (ATMP) technology to control water and maximize thermal efficiency. As the inner layer of the rainscreen system, MetalWrap panels provide defense against harsh weather conditions. And the single-component insulated composite backup panels expedite installation and close-in time requirements—especially vital in Florida’s rainy, humid climate.  

MetalWrap Integrated Series features integral attachment systems—including the MR-100 and MR-300 rail systems as well as integral clips, pintles and/or masonry anchors—for ease of installation of any cladding material such as metal, terra cotta, ACM panels, brick facades and other rainscreens. This aesthetic flexibility makes it the perfect choice for mixed-medium exteriors. The product offers 2” and 3” thicknesses to provide thermal performance for even the most demanding projects.

Installers from FLC Systems are hard at work at the Navy Federal Credit Union campus as construction continues. Their expertise with the product accelerates installation time to produce a weathertight barrier, making way for interior tradesmen to work on the office interior. All told, the finished project will incorporate more than 500,000 square feet of CENTRIA metal wall panels.

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Wall Weatherproofing with IMPs
Panel Discussion
Wall Weatherproofing with IMPs
July 31, 2017 at 6:50 pm 0

Making the case for insulated metal panels as the single-source solution.

Building envelopes are typically a series of materials separating the building interior climate from the exterior. These materials must be connected from wall to roof, and wall to floor/foundation, and they need to encapsulate the building and perform specific functions to resist moisture in liquid and vapor states, air infiltration and heat flow. (more…)

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Making Waves
Design Innovation
Making Waves
May 10, 2016 at 3:00 pm 0

Great Lakes Research Center showcases the best in metal wall panel technology. 

 Stationed on the shores of the Keweenaw Waterway to Lake Superior, Michigan Tech’s new, three-story Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) is a one-stop shop for any and all scientific research relating to the Great Lakes—the largest surface freshwater system in the world. The facility hosts collaborations between a number of university departments researching air-water interactions, biogeochemistry, hydrodynamics, fisheries, and storm-water management, amongst other subjects.

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