One look at the new Tyndall Air Force Base Fitness Center and you know it’s not your typical government building. Custom blue sunshades, and a radiused canopy entrance bring color and attention to the two- story, 75,000 square foot facility, located in Panama City, FL. The design and construction of the building focused on energy efficiency, water conservation, and sustainability, and is the first building in the Air Force to earn the U.S Green Building Council’s LEED Platinum rating. The project features metal materials by Quality Metalcrafts, LLC/AMERICLAD.

With the hot Florida climate, shading would play a prominent role in the energy-efficient design of the building, and LEED certification. It was important that the shading be appealing, as it would impact the overall look and feel of the building. Manufactured by Quality Metalcrafts, LLC / AMERICLAD, the AMERICLAD® AC-100 custom airfoil sunshades are both highly functional and aesthetically pleasing. Painted with a custom blue Kynar, the sunshades help maximize the natural sunlight to minimize the need for artificial lighting, while providing shade to the building to keep the direct sunlight out, reducing cooling costs.

While most of the sunshades are located over the windows, the most noticeable shades extend from the roof at the entrance of the building to shade the gymnasiums and curtainwall. The sunshades extend over the glass curtainwall to the canopy below, drawing attention to the entrance of the building. They can also be seen from inside the gymnasium, bringing color and design to the interior as well as the exterior.

The cantilevered canopy for the entrance of the building was custom designed with stringent load requirements. Quality Metalcrafts, LLC/AMERICLAD worked closely with the contractor, Performance Architectural, Inc., - Pelham, AL to meet all the engineering requirements in the manufacturing of the canopy. The canopy consists of 12” diameter aluminum tubes, extending from the building to a ¼” aluminum panel to create a decorative soffit. The 12” aluminum tubes have a custom silver Kynar paint finish and vary in length to create the radiused design of the canopy.

While both Quality Metalcrafts and Performance Architectural specialize in custom fabrication, they agree that this project was especially unique, with the sunshades and canopy. This is was their first collaboration on a project and together they met all the challenges and completed the project on time and under budget.

The end result is an award winning, energy efficient building of which the U.S. Air Force personnel at the base can all be very proud.