Iconic athletic facility features innovative thin stone solution

The University of Southern Indiana chose Arriscraft’s ARRIS-clip (thin-clad) Rainscreen Stone as they envisioned a modern facility that acknowledged and honored the older stone buildings on campus and also set a new course for the school moving into the future.

According to Cannon Design: this pivotal project for the University of Southern Indiana expanded and renovated the Physical Activities Center (PAC) to create a new building that serves as a campus icon, enhances student and student-athlete recruitment and bolsters athletics and associated academics programs
 
The building design employs light, geometry and texture to unite the surrounding campus areas and connect the building to key pedestrian paths. The project well positions USI for the future in numerous ways. The new 4,300-seat basketball arena is home to USI’s basketball and volleyball programs and can also host concerts, speakers and graduation ceremonies. Screaming Eagles Arena is part of a pivotal multi-phase expansion and renovation of USI’s Physical Activities Center.

Designers selected premium Arriscraft ARRIS-clip thin-clad stone. This exterior cladding system meets the rigorous demands of a modern, high-performance and marquis structure. The USI design required the stone to be lightweight due to the large ribbon windows and ARRIS-clip being 1/3 the weight of normal 4” masonry veneer made the most sense, especially in light of the design.

The ARRIS-clip units were installed on an aluminum rail system. The installation used discrete girts and vertical mullions behind the stone to achieve Energy Code compliance. Budget was a concern and so the designers chose to soldier course the stone units (stand them up vertically), thereby separating the channels - reducing the cost of the channel materials and also the labor to install the system.
 
Cannon Design used ARRIS-clip in a contemporary and innovative way and won the 2019 AIA Merit Award for Architecture from the American Institute of Architects in St. Louis for their design. This project is an outstanding example of a visionary architectural firm who had a design idea and worked with Arriscraft to make it happen.  USI will be adding onto this project in 2020, using more ARRIS-clip thin-clad stone.

Inherent Benefits of Calcium Silicate Thin Stone

Arriscraft’s unique calcium silicate stone products are unique in the market. The company’s exclusive manufacturing process using only natural materials - sand and lime - which bind naturally to deliver a stone with the strength and durability benefits of quarried stone, plus a very authentic fine grain appearance. The ARRIS-clip thin clad stone used on the USI PAC building will deliver all the performance of natural stone: exceptional strength, no fading, no maintenance, plus a realistic aesthetic. This superior performance over the coming decades not only protects the investment, but keeps the building looking as good in 20 years or more, as it did on opening day. 

Innovative “Clip” System Installation

Arriscraft’s ARRIS-clip innovative installation allowed designers to have great freedom in the design process. Distinctive angles, unlimited heights and detailed finishing were simple to achieve on the USI athletic facility building. ARRIS-clip are thin, stone tile units (1-3/8") that simply clip into an aluminum stone hanging system and the Discrete Girt / Z-channel assembly, creating a back drained and ventilated open rainscreen façade.

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