The in-house design team at PSW Homes, Austin, Texas, had already used a leaf motif on murals in the first two buildings of the 104-unit Thornton Flats luxury apartments, in South Austin. But the architects wanted a graphic treatment with a lot more pop for the third building in the complex.
“We were seeking a more natural and chill South Austin vibe that would not only create a welcome departure from the feature-laden rentals popping up in the area, but also accentuate the indoor-outdoor living that PSW strives to create,” said Andy Webre, PSW’s Architectural Project Manager. “We wanted something that had the ability to create a sense of place other than a boring building number.”
Webre and his team turned to Cambridge Architectural for the new graphic element. The manufacturer started with 10 panels (1,276 sf) of raw stainless steel in its Mid Balance mesh pattern. Leaf “cutouts” were created by powder coating the surrounding metal in antique bronze, which looks black to the eye. L&S Erectors, Litchfield, Ohio, installed the 50%-opacity mesh screen. A tan wall behind the mesh produces a 3D effect; at night, color-changing lighting provides added visual depth to the leafy new façade.
“We had never used metal mesh,” said Webre. “We liked the translucent layering design opportunities the mesh screen created, and the long-term durability of powder-coated stainless steel.”
Related Stories
| Feb 27, 2014
Metal Construction Association introduces two Environmental Product Declarations
Two Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), one for Metal Composite Material Panels and one for Roll Formed Steel Panels for Roofs and Walls, are now available free of charge from the Metal Construction Association (MCA) on its website.
| Feb 19, 2014
AIA class: The ABCs of IMPs – How to design and build with insulated metal panels
This AIA/CES class offers insight in areas including policies and codes surrounding insulated metal panels, contributions from LEED and tax credits, energy modeling, and business development opportunities available with IMPs. Take this course and earn 1.0 AIA LU/HSW/SD.
| Feb 13, 2014
Why you should start with a builder
They say the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. Expanding your building or constructing a new structure for your business, church, or school isn’t all that different. Attacking it is best done in small, deliberate pieces.
| Feb 6, 2014
New Hampshire metal building awes visitors
Visitors to the Keene Family YMCA in New Hampshire are often surprised by what they encounter. Liz Coppola calls it the “wow factor.” “Literally, there’s jaw dropping,” says Coppola, director of financial and program development for the Keene Family YMCA.
| Feb 5, 2014
CENTRIA Redefines Coating System with Versacor® Elite
The Versacor Elite Coating System is a premium metal coating system that provides the highest level of protection in the harshest climatic or environmental conditions.
| Jan 30, 2014
What to expect in the metal building industry in 2014
Every year brings changes. This one won’t be any different. We’ll see growth in some areas, declines in others. Here’s a little preview of what we’ll be writing about 2014 when 2015 comes rolling in.
| Jan 28, 2014
White Paper: How metal buildings deliver long-term value to schools
A new white paper from Star Building Systems outlines the benefits of metal buildings for public and private school building projects.
| Jan 23, 2014
Think you can recognize a metal building from the outside?
What looks like brick, stucco or wood on the outside could actually be a metal building. Metal is no longer easily detectable. It’s gotten sneakier visually. And a great example of that is the Madison Square retail center in Norman, Okla.
| Jan 13, 2014
Custom exterior fabricator A. Zahner unveils free façade design software for architects
The web-based tool uses the company's factory floor like "a massive rapid prototype machine,” allowing designers to manipulate designs on the fly based on cost and other factors, according to CEO/President Bill Zahner.
| Dec 16, 2013
Is the metal building industry in a technology shift?
Automation is the future you can’t avoid, though you may try. Even within the metal building industry—which is made up of skilled tradesmen—automation has revolutionized, and will continue revolutionizing, how we work.
