When new energy codes requiring continuous insulation for the building envelope were adopted by the state of North Carolina, the developers of the recently opened Asheville City Center sought out a cost-effective design that met code requirements while still allowing the building to feel open from the outside.
Architects chose tall, thin windows that let light in and prioritized energy efficiency. Spacing the windows evenly apart and flush with the rest of the building’s envelope gave the windows an interesting staggered pattern. Recessing them by three inches provided the building with a sense of depth and dimension.
The architectural team considered insulated metal panels, but for this mid-scale project, ALPOLIC®’s practical, versatile materials proved the better fit for both their vision and their budget.
“With the insulated panels, it’s not cost effective to have many different widths,” architect Aaron Brumo of design firm Clark Nexsen explains. “But with ACM, we could have 100 different size panels if we wanted to. Plus, the panels were available in a wide selection of stock ALPOLIC colors.”
Complex Design, Simple Construction, Minimal Cost
The materials were installed using the innovative R-Trac HVHZ pressure-equalized rainscreen system, developed through a collaboration between Mitsubishi Chemical Composites America, Rmax, and Altech Panel Systems.
In compliance with the latest energy efficiency codes, the R-Trac system works with continuous insulation. It is specifically designed to meet wind loading and missile impact standards for high velocity hurricane zones, and meets the NFPA 285 standard for limiting fire propagation.
Doug McIntyre, director of research and business development at Altech Panel Systems and the fabricator of this project’s R-Trac system, notes that one advantage of a continuous insulation system with an R-Trac rainscreen is that it’s an all-inclusive system. This reduces costs by eliminating the need to have multiple trades on site.
A Perfect Combination
The R-Trac system and ALPOLIC® materials are the perfect marriage of innovative materials and design engineering. Of the R-Trac system, Brumo says: “It really simplifies the design, the assembly of the skin.”
McIntyre notes that ALPOLIC® materials pair perfectly with his company’s innovative rainscreen system. “We’ve been using ALPOLIC® materials for years,” he says. “We’ve always felt they have a very good product. Their colors are, we feel, superior to others in the industry. Quality and service, they’re A-number one.”
For more information, visit www.alpolic-americas.com.
Related Stories
| Feb 17, 2012
Tremco Inc. headquarters achieves LEED Gold certification
Changes were so extensive that the certification is for new construction and not for renovation; officially, the building is LEED-NC.
| Feb 16, 2012
Summit Design + Build begins build-out for Emmi Solutions in Chicago
The new headquarters will total 20,455 sq. ft. and feature a loft-style space with exposed masonry and mechanical systems, 15 foot clear ceilings, two large rooftop skylights and private offices with full glass partition walls.
| Feb 16, 2012
Big-box retailers not just for DIYers
Nearly half of all contractor purchases made from stores like Home Depot and Lowe's.
| Feb 15, 2012
Code allowance offers retailers and commercial building owners increased energy savings and reduced construction costs
Specifying air curtains as energy-saving, cost-cutting alternatives to vestibules in 3,000-square-foot buildings and larger has been a recent trend among consulting engineers and architects.
| Feb 15, 2012
Englewood Construction announces new projects with Destination Maternity, American Girl
Englewood’s newest project for Wisconsin-based doll retailer American Girl, the company will combine four vacant storefronts into one large 15,000 square-foot retail space for American Girl.
| Feb 10, 2012
LAX Central Utility Plant project tops out
Construction workers placed the final structural steel beam atop the Plant, which was designed with strict seismic criteria to help protect the facility and airport utilities during an earthquake.
| Feb 2, 2012
Call for Entries: 2012 Building Team Awards. Deadline March 2, 2012
Winning projects will be featured in the May issue of BD+C.
| Feb 1, 2012
Replacement windows eliminate weak link in the building envelope
Replacement or retrofit can help keep energy costs from going out the window.
| Feb 1, 2012
Blackney Hayes designs school for students with learning differences
The 63,500 sf building allows AIM to consolidate its previous two locations under one roof, with room to expand in the future.
| Feb 1, 2012
Two new research buildings dedicated at the University of South Carolina
The two buildings add 208,000 square feet of collaborative research space to the campus.
