Wall panels spice up contractor’s office
The creative use of 3,200 sf of Dri-Design 0.050-inch aluminum wall panels on the façade of Zimmerman Construction Co.’s new headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., helped the company achieve its desired look under budget. “We determined that the panels initially recommended were just too expensive,” says company president Jack Zimmerman. As an alternative, Zimmerman selected a dry joint, pressure-equalized rainscreen system from Dri-Design. The 30x30-inch panels, which feature a copper finish, were installed in a diamond configuration to create a distinctive appearance.
Dri-Design Input No. 278 at BDCnetwork.com/quickResponse
Wire mesh is the perfect fit for Cleveland playhouse
The material used for the staircase infills of Cleveland’s Idea Center at Playhouse Square is WS Tyler’s Alterna architectural woven wire cloth. The wire cloth’s herringbone stripes complement the center’s simple, clean design. The appearance and visibility of the material varies depending on the light angle, thus creating a flow for the entire staircase and landings. Designed by Westlake Reed Leskosky, Cleveland, the Idea Center is a redevelopment that has created a space for the arts, technology, and education, in one downtown building. It recently received a Reconstruction Award from Building Design+Construction (October 2006, P. 62).
WS Tyler Input No. 276 at BDCnetwork.com/quickResponse
Solid Corian table wows charity crowd
“Dining By Design” is an annual fundraising event in New York organized by the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA). It brings architects and designers together to create and display interesting dining venues. Each design team is given an 11x11-foot space, a table, and 10 chairs to design.
Christian Arkay-Leliever, director of strategic innovation at the New York office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, wanted to create something different, a seamless solid piece that would serve as both table and chairs. When completed, the eight-foot-tall dining environment was composed of more than 700 sf of surfacing material. Arkay-Leliever’s team needed to select a durable material that could be constructed seamlessly and still be lightweight and inviting.
They chose Corian. “We tried to showcase many of the different faces of Corian, through milling, cutting, thermoforming, joining, and polishing,” said Arkay-Leliever. He also noted that with no grout or seam gaps to trap soil, the material was easy to clean.
DuPont Input No. 277 at BDCnetwork.com/quickResponse
Restorative coating gives airport a lift
When Mike Dilley, operations supervisor for building maintenance at Lahm Airport in Mansfield, Ohio, began seeing rust on his airport’s standing seam roof, he was worried.
“We had had problems with the finish on the original roof to the point where we thought we’d have to replace some of its sections,” he said. A thorough analysis of the roof revealed that water had not penetrated the insulation. Despite an aging surface and signs of rust, the roof could be successfully restored at a cost significantly lower than replacement.
The CAP UltraShield roof restoration system was specified for the project. The system provided metal rust-proofing with polyester reinforcement and a new surface. The Building Team removed the rust, repaired the damage, and recoated the roof.
Garland Roofing Input No. 275 at BDCnetwork.com/quickResponse
Wall panels create a sleek showroom
Looking to create a sleek, industrial appearance for the upscale Loeber Motors Mercedes Benz dealership in Lincolnwood, Ill., design architect Valerio Dewalt Train Associates, Chicago, specified approximately 1,800 sf of composite wall panels to create a dramatic soffit/fascia that highlights the 17,000-sf showroom. Pac-Clad is a caulked-joint panel system utilizing a composite material comprised of a thermoplastic core bonded to aluminum skins.
Petersen Aluminum Input No. 271 at BDCnetwork.com/quickResponse
Metal ceiling tiles make it big Off Broadway
Off Broadway theatergoers expect a certain edge to their experience, and theater owners are expected to create an appealing ambience on a limited budget. Both of those expectations were met at the New World Stages theater in New York’s Times Square. Looking to create an industrial appearance for the theater’s main lobby, local architect Beyer Blinder Belle specified more than 3,300 sf of chrome-metal and white metal ceiling tiles. “We liked the metal finish of the tiles and the see-through aspect that allowed us to expose the industrial conditions above the ceiling plane,” said Erik Chu, an architect with Beyer Blinder Belle. Squareline metal ceiling tiles are Class 1 fire-rated, and fit conventional grid systems.
illbruck Input No. 270 at BDCnetwork.com/quickResponse
Vandal-resistant cameras ensure school safety
To safeguard its students from violence and drugs, A.B. Davis Middle School in Westchester, N.Y., recently installed 94 Toshiba IK-WR01A vandal-resistant network dome cameras in cafeterias, hallways, and classrooms. The IP network video surveillance system allowed the school to leverage its existing network infrastructure, saving thousands of dollars.
Toshiba Input No. 272 at BDCnetwork.com/quickResponse
Children’s hospital gets a weatherproof mural
Looking to create an exterior mural for the entrance to its addition, La Rabida Children’s Hospital, Chicago, commissioned flooring contractor Barrier Corp. to devise a durable solution that would match the colors of the addition. Realizing that the colors could not be matched using concrete or terrazzo, Barrier Corp. specified a urethane system using Valspar colors. A low-viscosity epoxy primer was applied over a polyurethane concrete surfacer, followed by a coat of pigmented epoxy and two coats of Valspar Ultrathane for UV stability and abrasion resistance.
Valspar Input No. 273 at BDCnetwork.com/quickResponse
Condo stands strong against violent storm
Located along the Oceanfront in Long Beach, N.Y., the Breakers condo complex is faced with harsh environmental conditions on a regular basis. To ensure a weather-tight seal, the design team specified Sto Guard spray-on waterproofing air barrier to be applied during a recent restoration project (pictured), which involved replacing the exterior brick façade.
The air barrier passed its first test during construction, before the new brick veneer was installed. A massive storm pounded the buildings with driving rain and wind, and Sto Guard was all that stood between the 100 occupied condo units and catastrophic water damage.
Following the storm, which dropped 13 inches of rain over nine days, no air barrier-related leaks were reported.
Sto Input No. 274 at BDCnetwork.com/quickResponse
