When new energy codes requiring continuous insulation for the building envelope were adopted by the state of North Carolina, the developers of the recently opened Asheville City Center sought out a cost-effective design that met code requirements while still allowing the building to feel open from the outside.
Architects chose tall, thin windows that let light in and prioritized energy efficiency. Spacing the windows evenly apart and flush with the rest of the building’s envelope gave the windows an interesting staggered pattern. Recessing them by three inches provided the building with a sense of depth and dimension.
The architectural team considered insulated metal panels, but for this mid-scale project, ALPOLIC®’s practical, versatile materials proved the better fit for both their vision and their budget.
“With the insulated panels, it’s not cost effective to have many different widths,” architect Aaron Brumo of design firm Clark Nexsen explains. “But with ACM, we could have 100 different size panels if we wanted to. Plus, the panels were available in a wide selection of stock ALPOLIC colors.”
Complex Design, Simple Construction, Minimal Cost
The materials were installed using the innovative R-Trac HVHZ pressure-equalized rainscreen system, developed through a collaboration between Mitsubishi Chemical Composites America, Rmax, and Altech Panel Systems.
In compliance with the latest energy efficiency codes, the R-Trac system works with continuous insulation. It is specifically designed to meet wind loading and missile impact standards for high velocity hurricane zones, and meets the NFPA 285 standard for limiting fire propagation.
Doug McIntyre, director of research and business development at Altech Panel Systems and the fabricator of this project’s R-Trac system, notes that one advantage of a continuous insulation system with an R-Trac rainscreen is that it’s an all-inclusive system. This reduces costs by eliminating the need to have multiple trades on site.
A Perfect Combination
The R-Trac system and ALPOLIC® materials are the perfect marriage of innovative materials and design engineering. Of the R-Trac system, Brumo says: “It really simplifies the design, the assembly of the skin.”
McIntyre notes that ALPOLIC® materials pair perfectly with his company’s innovative rainscreen system. “We’ve been using ALPOLIC® materials for years,” he says. “We’ve always felt they have a very good product. Their colors are, we feel, superior to others in the industry. Quality and service, they’re A-number one.”
For more information, visit www.alpolic-americas.com.
Related Stories
| Dec 16, 2013
Is the metal building industry in a technology shift?
Automation is the future you can’t avoid, though you may try. Even within the metal building industry—which is made up of skilled tradesmen—automation has revolutionized, and will continue revolutionizing, how we work.
| Dec 10, 2013
16 great solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors
From a crowd-funded smart shovel to a why-didn’t-someone-do-this-sooner scheme for managing traffic in public restrooms, these ideas are noteworthy for creative problem-solving. Here are some of the most intriguing innovations the BD+C community has brought to our attention this year.
| Nov 27, 2013
Wonder walls: 13 choices for the building envelope
BD+C editors present a roundup of the latest technologies and applications in exterior wall systems, from a tapered metal wall installation in Oklahoma to a textured precast concrete solution in North Carolina.
| Nov 27, 2013
University reconstruction projects: The 5 keys to success
This AIA CES Discovery course discusses the environmental, economic, and market pressures affecting facility planning for universities and colleges, and outlines current approaches to renovations for critical academic spaces.
| Nov 22, 2013
Health Product Declaration Collaborative to develop protocol for third-party verification of HPDs
Seven leading product sustainability assessment companies partner with the HPD Collaborative to develop the verification and quality assurance protocols.
| Nov 19, 2013
Top 10 green building products for 2014
Assa Abloy's power-over-ethernet access-control locks and Schüco's retrofit façade system are among the products to make BuildingGreen Inc.'s annual Top-10 Green Building Products list.
| Nov 18, 2013
USGBC, UL Environment announce joint Environmental Product Declaration
Strategic partnership between U.S. Green Building Council and UL Environment will focus on building materials and product transparency.
| Nov 15, 2013
Metal makes its mark on interior spaces
Beyond its long-standing role as a preferred material for a building’s structure and roof, metal is making its mark on interior spaces as well.
| Nov 14, 2013
Behind the build: BD+C's 'Pedia-Pod' modular pediatric patient unit at Greenbuild 2013 [slideshow]
Next week at Greenbuild, BD+C will unveil its demonstration pediatric patient unit, called Pedia-Pod. Here's a behind-the-scenes look at the construction of this unique modular structure.