Bordered by the Blue Ridge and Alleghenies Mountains, situated in the historic Shenandoah Valley, is Winchester, Virginia, home to Shenandoah University, one of the state’s oldest colleges. The town and school co-exist, hand-in-hand, so it was no surprise that the two partnered to jointly construct a Convention and Visitors Bureau building that would serve the city’s tourism needs, while also functioning as an educational complex for the school’s tourism curriculum.

Committed to a design that would fit into the historical landscape, the university hired architects Bartzen & Ball of Richmond, VA. The firm developed plans for a 10,000 sq. ft. building with a modern, yet rural aesthetic, featuring rustic exterior colors and colonial building traits. Petersen Aluminum of Elk Grove Village, IL, was selected to furnish the exterior metal paneling, which included PAC-CLAD Snap-On Batten Wall Panels and PAC-850 Half Vent Soffits, both of which were coated in Valspar’s Fluropon® in Colonial Red to give the building a vivid pop of color. Additionally, Snap-Clad Roofing Panels from Petersen were coated in Valspar’s Fluropon in Weathered Zinc, providing a color combination and design to Shenandoah University History and Tourism Center that creates a classic look with a durable exterior.

Fluropon is a 70 percent PVDF architectural coating that features outstanding protection against dirt and staining as well as exceptional color consistency and retention. When applied to metal roofing systems like that of the Shenandoah University History and Tourism Center, Fluropon reflects the sun’s heat rather than absorbing it into the building. This environment-friendly coating helps reduce energy costs for the Center while also providing a dynamic, rustic finish that the design team was looking for.

Open for the public, the Shenandoah University History and Tourism Center houses space for the Visitor’s Center, Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, classrooms, office space and more. Thanks to the colonial color and aesthetic offered by Valspar coating, the Center looks right at home next to Abram’s Delight, the oldest home in Shenandoah Valley, and the historic Rouss Springs.

The metal panel systems were installed by Russell Roofing of Wayne, PA.

To learn more about metal panel systems by Petersen, click here.