When the opportunity occurred to introduce a progressive new look for a mixed-use development, John Fasano knew that he had the perfect product solution to create an innovative work/live/play community. The Cambridge mixed-use project is located at 1075 Mass Avenue, in a highly visible area located in the heart of the Harvard community. The mixed-use facility includes Crate and Barrel, with residential living space in the back of the building.
Fasano, architect with Peter Quinn Architects, had been waiting for the right project to use Nichiha’s Illumination Series Panels to create the look and feel of an upscale community with the customized color options of Nichiha’s Color Xpressions system. “This area of Cambridge is progressive and open to new ideas and solutions,” mentioned Fasano. “A mixed-use development like this Illumination project is a perfect solution to meet the wants and needs of both residents and the retail community. The Nichiha cladding system is an ideal solution that blends beauty and easy installation together to provide an upscale look to anchor this development.”
Fasano had learned about the Nichiha products from a previous project at Patriot Place in Foxboro, Massachusetts, where they utilized Nichiha fiber cement panels. In fact, Peter Quinn Architects is working on several projects in the Cambridge area, utilizing various Nichiha fiber cement products. “We needed to find a light-weight, durable, fire-resistant cladding material. We considered Nichiha along with other fiber cement products because they’re fire resistant materials, but Nichiha seemed the most suitable for our needs due to their patented rainscreen system. Additionally, we liked the modular scale of the panels, as well as the concealed fastener system and ease of installation,” stated Fasano.
The Cambridge mixed-used project incorporates Nichiha’s Illumination Series Panels, in three custom colors. Nichiha’s Color Xpressions System allowed for the architect to choose a variety of personalized colors to match the specific design of the building. Nichiha’s Illumination Series Panels provided an attractive finish, quick installation, cost-savings and a vast array of distinctive color options; all of these value benefits stand Nichiha apart from other cladding options in the industry. “Nichiha panels allowed us to create an interesting, random color pattern at a human scale with clean lines and a finished overall appearance,” commented Fasano.
More specifically, the Illumination Series panels were chosen in part to their ability to be installed at all times of the year, regardless of the weather or temperature. The panels for this project were installed in the dead of winter, which is a huge benefit when comparing other types of cladding materials, as many have to be preferably installed in warm weather (i.e. brick and stone).
The Cambridge mixed-use project used Nichiha Illumination Series panels to complete the all inclusive work/live/play community, which includes both residential and retail space.
CHALLENGE
The architects needed to find a light-weight, durable, fire-resistant cladding material that had a moisture management system that worked with their budget.
SOLUTION
Nichiha’s Illumination Panels provided custom color availability, easy-installation, fire-resistant material that has a built-in rainscreen system. Due to the versatility of the product, it was able to be installed in the dead of winter, where many other products cannot be, keeping the project on time.
RESULTS
The mixed-use project in Cambridge was completed with the use of Nichiha’s Illumination Panels, which provided functionality and modern aesthetics, a true stand-out, creating an all inclusive work/live/play community.
Architect: Peter Quinn Architects
Location: Cambridge, Mass.
Project type: new construction
Product: Illumination Series
Project features:
? Modern aesthetics
? Simple installation
? Drained and back ventilated rainscreen system
? Color Xpressions System
? Durability
Nichiha U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Nichiha Corporation, was established 1998 and is headquartered in Norcross, Ga. Nichiha Corporation, an international leader in fiber cement technology for more than 35 years, has 13 plants worldwide and markets distinct patterns of fiber cement siding products in the U.S. In 2007, Nichiha opened its first U.S. manufacturing plant in Macon, Ga., responding to an increase in demand for fiber cement products in the Southeast market. For more information, call 1.86.NICHIHA1 or visit nichiha.com.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Great Solutions: Business Management
22. Commercial Properties Repositioned for University USE Tocci Building Companies is finding success in repositioning commercial properties for university use, and it expects the trend to continue. The firm's Capital Cove project in Providence, R.I., for instance, was originally designed by Elkus Manfredi (with design continued by HDS Architects) to be a mixed-use complex with private, market-...
| Aug 11, 2010
Nurturing the Community
The best seat in the house at the new Seahawks Stadium in Seattle isn't on the 50-yard line. It's in the southeast corner, at the very top of the upper bowl. "From there you have a corner-to-corner view of the field and an inspiring grasp of the surrounding city," says Kelly Kerns, project leader with architect/engineer Ellerbe Becket, Kansas City, Mo.
| Aug 11, 2010
BIM adoption tops 80% among the nation's largest AEC firms, according to BD+C's Giants 300 survey
The nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction companies are on the BIM bandwagon in a big way, according to Building Design+Construction's premier Top 50 BIM Adopters ranking, published as part of the 2009 Giants 300 survey. Of the 320 AEC firms that participated in Giants survey, 83% report having at least one BIM seat license in house, half have more than 30 seats, and near...
| Aug 11, 2010
Integrated Project Delivery builds a brave, new BIM world
Three-dimensional information, such as that provided by building information modeling, allows all members of the Building Team to visualize the many components of a project and how they work together. BIM and other 3D tools convey the idea and intent of the designer to the entire Building Team and lay the groundwork for integrated project delivery.
| Aug 11, 2010
Great Solutions: Healthcare
11. Operating Room-Integrated MRI will Help Neurosurgeons Get it Right the First Time A major limitation of traditional brain cancer surgery is the lack of scanning capability in the operating room. Neurosurgeons do their best to visually identify and remove the cancerous tissue, but only an MRI scan will confirm if the operation was a complete success or not.
| Aug 11, 2010
Great Solutions: Collaboration
9. HOK Takes Videoconferencing to A New Level with its Advanced Collaboration Rooms To help foster collaboration among its 2,212 employees while cutting travel time, expenses, and carbon emissions traveling between its 24 office locations, HOK is fitting out its major offices with prototype videoconferencing rooms that are like no other in the U.
| Aug 11, 2010
2009 Judging Panel
A Matthew H. Johnson, PE Associate Principal Simpson Gumpertz & HegerWaltham, Mass. B K. Nam Shiu, SE, PEVP Walker Restoration Consultants Elgin, Ill. C David P. Callan, PE, CEM, LEED APSVPEnvironmental Systems DesignChicago D Ken Osmun, PA, DBIA, LEED AP Group President, ConstructionWight & Company Darien, Ill.
| Aug 11, 2010
Inspiring Offices: Office Design That Drives Creativity
Office design has always been linked to productivity—how many workers can be reasonably squeezed into a given space—but why isn’t it more frequently linked to creativity? “In general, I don’t think enough people link the design of space to business outcome,” says Janice Linster, partner with the Minneapolis design firm Studio Hive.