Collectors eventually want to display their collection. A classic car enthusiast wanted a state-of-the-art facility in the Adirondack Mountains of New York; a “green” building to showcase his stable of Fords and Packards. To help the facility be energy efficient, insulated metal panels (IMPs) from Metl-Span were chosen for the roofing and walls.

“The goal was to create a work shop and storage space for a collection of vehicles that is energy efficient, low maintenance and has the simple aesthetic of an agricultural barn,” says Gary McCoola, Architect PLLC. “Since it is a relatively large structure with a footprint of 10,900 square feet, it was important that the shape and massing of the building allow it to appear as a smaller structure set into the wooded site.”

McCoola says IMPs were chosen because they provide a weather-tight exterior skin, a high thermal resistance and a pre-finished interior skin in a single component. “When erected and fastened to the pre-engineered metal building, they read like a modern version of wood board and batten siding on a timber-framed barn,” he says. “So as not to overshadow the design of the vehicles stored within, the metal panels provide a simple, clean background surface.”

Munter Enterprises of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., erected the metal framing system from Ceco Building Systems and installed the insulated metal panels. The framing was coated in Medium Bronze to match the exterior wall panels. Metl-Span’s 4-inch thick CF Flute panels (8,000 square feet), 42 inches wide, were installed as wall panels in Medium Bronze. Metl-Span’s CFR Galvalume panels (15,000 square feet), 42 inches wide, were craned up on to the framing to be installed on the roof. 

“On the exterior, the brown siding color was selected so the building would blend into the wooded site, particularly during the winter when foliage was down,” McCoola says. “The galvanized roof color was selected to resemble that of a tin barn roof and to reflect the summer solar heat. On the building’s interior, windows high in the walls allow natural light to fill the space, so the light color of the panels reflect the light and provide contrast to the symmetry of the building frame.”

The interior of the insulated metal panels are all coated in Igloo White.

“It was a pleasure to work with an owner and architect that committed to such an interesting and unique design, and knew what products would best showcase it,” says Todd Coffin, Project Coordinator for Munter Enterprises. “Although a challenging project, the design collaboration produced a perfect marriage of high efficiency products. LED lighting, geothermal HVAC system, triple pane windows, bifold doors and Metl-Span’s roof and wall panels were product selections that contributed to this building being state-of-the-art.”   

To add to the efficiency of the 12,000-square-foot building with polished concrete flooring, solar panels are attached to the south-facing roof on the building, providing most of the electricity used in the facility.

Coffin says the biggest challenge was the complex rooflines with multiple valleys and handling the length and weight of six-inch thick roofing panels all while working on a 6:12 roof pitch on a tight site nestled in the Adirondack woods. 

“When it came to the valley detail, each individual panel was custom cut on site prior to installation,” Coffin says. “Because the exterior skin was held proud by minimal 2-1/2 inches, the valley trim had to be carefully slid under the overlap and into place. A combination of rigid board and spray foam was utilized to ensure a continuous thermal envelope at the valleys."

Coffin says one of the many benefits of working with Metl-Span is the extensive resource library provided on their website. This particular detail can be found there (CI-CFR-VL-01) in both PDF & CAD form.

“I am very pleased with the outcome of the project,” McCoola says. “The simplicity of the tongue-and-groove panel skin allowed for quick erection with little additional time for trimming and finishing at both the interior and exterior.

“What makes this project special is the owner’s interest in creating a sustainable project using ground-source heat pumps for radiant slab heating, roof-mounted photovoltaic panels for electric generation and an efficient thermal envelope. The final outcome is an uncluttered structure with practically invisible mechanical systems which provides contrast to the stylized vehicles that are highly mechanized.”