High vaulted ceilings are a challenge to acoustical engineers looking to control, direct and amplify sounds to create a dynamic listening experience. LMN Architects approached the design for the new Voxman Music Building at the University of Iowa with an acute understanding of the construction limitations. They needed lightweight, yet rigid material that could be fabricated and hung in the open space in order to provide the right acoustics, integrate in the lighting and fire safety systems, and provide an inspiring experience true to their bold vision.
Metal composite material proved to be the perfect solution for this complex problem. In partnership with fabricators at Shaffner Heaney Associates, Inc, 6mm-thick ALPOLIC®/fr Metal Composite Material (MCM) was designed, fabricated, and installed to meet all engineering concerns and exceed the design expectation in bringing colorful swarms of kites to life.
Throughout the design process, the LMN Tech Studio employed a 3D parametric model to simulate how ALPOLIC® MCM could best provide sound scattering and absorption at the Voxman. The end result helps university musicians achieve the desired acoustic effects during performance.
The kites add rich color and functionality to music rooms without interfering with hanging lights and fire sprinkler systems. Photo credit: Mitchell Stier
To create the 946 detailed components adorning the high ceilings of Voxman’s main music hall and two large rehearsal rooms, Shaffer Heaney fabricator Mark Haab and his team digitally cut 36,000 square feet of ALPOLIC® with a fire retardant core. The unique installation also permitted other systems - lighting and fire sprinklers - to penetrate without interfering in the overall look of the design. "It was unlike any composite job we've done or seen anyone else do, and we knew it was something special the minute we saw the architect's plans," said Haab.
Six different colors, four of which were custom, all using Lumiflon® FEVE resin, add a touch of brilliance to the spaces within the building. While these aluminum "kites" appear to float in the sky, much the like the music filling the rooms, they contribute important elements to the functionality of the music rooms.
“This process and ALPOLIC® MCM has really become a calling card for us,” said Steven Van Dyck of LMN Architects. “We’re exploring and find we can make it do almost anything.”
"It's really a masterpiece, from the architect’s concept through the execution," said Haab of the overall project. "We took something that was very challenging and unique and out of the box and got it done."
Project Details: University of Iowa, Voxman Music Building
Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Architect: LMN Architects
Exterior Panel Manufacturer: ALPOLIC® Materials | Mitsubishi Chemical Composites America, Inc.
Product: 6mm, ALPOLIC/fr®
Coating: Custom Colors
Industry: Education
Related Stories
| Jul 19, 2013
Reconstruction Sector Engineering Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
URS, STV, Wiss Janney Elstner top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest reconstruction engineering and engineering/architecture firms in the U.S.
| Jul 19, 2013
Reconstruction Sector Architecture Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Stantec, HOK, HDR top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest reconstruction architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.
| Jul 19, 2013
Renovation, adaptive reuse stay strong, providing fertile ground for growth [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Increasingly, owners recognize that existing buildings represent a considerable resource in embodied energy, which can often be leveraged for lower front-end costs and a faster turnaround than new construction.
| Jul 2, 2013
LEED v4 gets green light, will launch this fall
The U.S. Green Building Council membership has voted to adopt LEED v4, the next update to the world’s premier green building rating system.
| Jul 1, 2013
Report: Global construction market to reach $15 trillion by 2025
A new report released today forecasts the volume of construction output will grow by more than 70% to $15 trillion worldwide by 2025.
| Jun 28, 2013
Building owners cite BIM/VDC as 'most exciting trend' in facilities management, says Mortenson report
A recent survey of more than 60 building owners and facility management professionals by Mortenson Construction shows that BIM/VDC is top of mind among owner professionals.
| Jun 17, 2013
DOE launches database on energy performance of 60,000 buildings
The Energy Department today launched a new Buildings Performance Database, the largest free, publicly available database of residential and commercial building energy performance information.
| Jun 11, 2013
Building a better box: High-bay lab aims for net-zero [2013 Building Team Award winner]
Building Team cooperation and expertise help Georgia Tech create a LEED Platinum building for energy science.
| Jun 5, 2013
USGBC: Free LEED certification for projects in new markets
In an effort to accelerate sustainable development around the world, the U.S. Green Building Council is offering free LEED certification to the first projects to certify in the 112 countries where LEED has yet to take root.
| Jun 3, 2013
Construction spending inches upward in April
The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that construction spending during April 2013 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $860.8 billion, 0.4 percent above the revised March estimate of $857.7 billion.
