The Alice and Carl Kirkland Cancer Center in Jackson, TN is an 82,000-square-foot medical facility that was designed to help heal. It’s 3D exterior came to life with Tapered Series Dri-Design Wall Panels that create a high-tech curb appeal, inviting patients and their families into a spa-like environment.
For this installation, Dri-Design worked closely with Snellville, GA-based SECO Architectural Systems, which served as the distributor and installer. “I cannot say enough about the customer service and professionalism of Dri-Design,” notes Mel Bindas, a project manager with SECO. “The project team coordinated a very intricate design and did an excellent job.”
Specified by the architectural firm Davis Stokes Architects, Brentwood, TN, the rainscreen system was installed at the very visible north entrance. Tapered Series Panels literally extend from the building because the panels can be angled to varying depths and degrees in any direction. “This wall has a 3D look with active shadows that only Dri-Design can do so uniquely,” Bindas says. The 0.080-inch aluminum wall panels have Dark Champagne and Silver finishes, and about 7,300 square feet was installed. In addition to the custom-engineered panels, Dri-Design supplied matching trims and copings.
The different colors allowed the architectural firm to create a tone-on-tone exterior with a soft intensity. This look brings a sense of balance with other building materials, particularly the glass curtainwall. Bindas notes part of the collaborative process with Dri-Design included addressing unique panel installation needs because of the curtainwall. “We made accommodations for the air and water barrier and transitions with the curtainwall. SECO and Dri-Design came up with a two-piece adjustable clip and angle system that allowed us to duplicate and segment the panels into shapes with the curtainwall and to attach them to the radius structure,” Bindas says. A factory radius transition was created that complemented the segmented curtainwall and provided a visual transition while ensuring there was a continuous air and water barrier for the panel system. “Even though the Dri-Design products have engineering accuracy, they do allow for adjustability with unique joinery when needed. This is something I appreciate about the Dri-Design system,” Bindas adds.
The cancer center is part of West Tennessee Healthcare and was completed within an aggressive 13-month construction schedule. The center was built with a generous gift from Alice and Carl Kirkland; Alice is from west Tennessee and is a cancer survivor. The main lobby includes a pharmacy, boutique, resource center, chapel and support services. A healing garden provides a quiet place for visitors and patients to have a moment of serenity. Added amenities include a conference room, community room, café and parking garage.
“So much thought went into creating a facility that can calm nervous patients and inspire healing,” says Brad Zeeff, president of Dri-Design. “The feeling this building was designed to generate begins with its bold and exciting exterior. Our Tapered Series allows architects to have design freedom with each specific panel to create a one-of-a-kind surface on nearly any façade. This can be done without modifying the substrate or weather barrier, and we also work with design and construction teams to craft custom installations as needed, such as in this case.”
For more information about the Dri-Design® Wall Panel System, call 616-355-2970 or visit www.dri-design.com.
Photographs by Mark Kempf, St. Louis