flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Building community with every structure

Sponsored Content Products and Materials

Building community with every structure

Fabcon precast helps take community projects further.


By Fabcon | July 19, 2017
Exterior of the Venice Island Performing Art & Recreation Center

Venice Island Performing Art & Recreation Center in Philadelphia, PA. Fabcon precast can create unique spaces with adaptable uses.

From schools to churches, YMCAs to hospitals, ice arenas to community centers or anything in between, the right building can bring people together. Our experience has shown that projects like these share common themes; budgets run tight, and timelines run even tighter.

Both of these criteria put Fabcon precast panels in the sweet spot for these types of projects.

Fabcon Sales Engineer Dick Duckstad has been a part of hundreds of planning meetings. While there’s often a desire to do something flashy, community projects tend to keep an eye on the larger prize—the building’s impact on the people and the community. Duckstad notes, “The mindset eventually becomes, ‘Let’s get real with this. Let’s spend more on panels on the front and be selective in other spots.”

That’s where Fabcon precast panels can help.

“While we’re not a custom precaster like some out there, ours is very much a system. We’re fast, and our panels are really efficient. That makes them a very economical choice,” Duckstad continues.

This can be attributed to the design of the panels and the ease in which they’re delivered to the build site.

“The insulation makes our product lighter so you can get incrementally more on a truck, and that’s where the economies come in,” says Duckstad. “Plus, we can achieve r-values a lot of other precasters can’t.” These are all reasons why many builders rely on our 12-inch VersaCore+Green™ sandwich panels and their impressive r-value of 28.2.

 

Exterior of the Shakopee Ice ArenaModular by nature, buildings made with Fabcon precast panels can be reimagined down the road.

 

REIMAGINING PRECAST

While specs like r-values and weights certainly matter, it’s important to keep an eye on the bigger picture. What happens if you outgrow a property? Or need to consider a sale?

Fabcon buildings tend to have multifunctional appeal. What may originally have been built as a church can easily be reconfigured to be a showroom. This creates clear advantages at resale. If you’re a school and enrollment swells, or if you need to add another sheet at the ice arena, it’s possible to expand the footprint of a building or make adjustments to the original functionality with new doors and windows.

“We’re getting more and more calls to come in and revamp buildings we helped build 20 years ago,” said Fabcon’s Dave Stanton. “Called ‘remove and relocate’ projects, we can actually grow the building using a combination of new and existing panels. We’ll remove a section of wall, move it 100 feet down and install new panels to expand the footprint of the building.”

While the overall structure of a building is a consideration, aesthetics are a major focus when renovating. Fabcon’s commitment to Functional Aesthetics™ means you never have to compromise on performance or design.

“Steel form panels, of course, can be painted any color,” said Stanton. “But we can also incorporate pigment and colored aggregate that’s specific to the region it’s pulled from.”

Whether you’re building from scratch or repurposing an existing structure, Fabcon Precast brings value to community projects. Making a difference in your community has never been faster, more efficient or more customizable.

Related Stories

| Mar 12, 2012

Improving the performance of existing commercial buildings: the chemistry of sustainable construction

Retrofitting our existing commercial buildings is one of the key steps to overcoming the economic and environmental challenges we face.

| Mar 5, 2012

Franklin Institute in Philadelphia selects Skanska to construct new pavilion

The building has been designed by SaylorGregg Architects and will apply for LEED Silver certification.

| Mar 1, 2012

Intelligent construction photography, not just pretty pictures

Our expert tells how to organize construction progress photos so you don’t lose track of all the valuable information they contain.

| Feb 26, 2012

Milwaukee U-Haul facility receives LEED-CI Silver

The new elements of the facility now include: efficient lighting with day-lighting controls and occupancy sensors, a high-efficiency HVAC system used in conjunction with a newly constructed thermal envelope to help reduce energy consumption, and the installation of low-flow fixtures to reduce water consumption.

| Feb 22, 2012

Suffolk awarded Boston post office renovation project

Renovation of art deco landmark will add 21,000 square feet of retail and 110 new parking spaces.

| 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 16, 2012

4.8-megawatt solar power system completed at Jersey Gardens Mall

Solar array among the largest rooftop systems in North America.

| Feb 7, 2012

Kawneer and Traco combine portfolios

Portfolio includes curtain wall systems, windows, entrances and framing systems.

| Jan 31, 2012

AIA CONTINUING EDUCATION: Reroofing primer, in-depth advice from the experts

Earn 1.0 AIA/CES learning units by studying this article and successfully completing the online exam.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Products and Materials

Top products from AIA 2024

This month, Building Design+Construction editors are bringing you the top products displayed at the 2024 AIA Conference on Architecture & Design. Nearly 550 building product manufacturers showcased their products—here are 17 that caught our eye.




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021