When ASI Limited President Ken Smith learned about Kalzip’s perforated aluminium facade, he realized it was something that would work well on the new headquarters building his company was planning.
ASI Limited, located near Indianapolis, IN, is a building enclosure specialist. It takes responsibility for enclosing a building’s exterior, including curtain walls, windows, metal panels, doors, and ornamental metals by supplying, fabricating, and installing the systems.
Because the new building was also meant to be a showplace for the company’s capabilities, Smith and his team were closely involved with its design and construction. “At the same time we were working on the design of our building we were preparing to work on a large project in Chicago. The architect on that project steered us to the Kalzip perforated screen and we thought it would be great on our building for a couple of reasons. We wanted a shield from the afternoon sun on the southwest side and we wanted to show what we can do with the product,” Smith said.
The building was also meant to reflect the company’s forward thinking philosophy, so the unique Kalzip product was a good fit. It was applied as a cantilevered screen system attached to the curtain wall. It was also designed to be an architectural element. The project used 5,193 square feet of the .040-gauge aluminum Kalzip 65/400 product in a standing seam profile with a 6/8 perforated pattern for the exterior and 4,155 square feet of Kalzip 65/400 solid for interior applications, both with a silver metallic finish.
“This was the first time we worked with Kalzip and had absolutely no challenges putting it up. We designed a grid system to anchor it to the curtain wall as a separate item. Although most designers are okay using exposed fasteners because it adds to the look, we decided to use all concealed fasteners with a T clip. We also used some Kalzip in various areas of the building, in front of a pre-cast wall and for decorative purposes. It’s economically priced as an add-on,” Smith said.
The 280,000-square-foot building located in All Points at Anson, a large corporate/industrial complex northwest of Indianapolis, was completed in March 2008. Indianapolis-based CSO Architects had designed ASI Limited’s previous building; the firm consulted with ASI Limited on the design of the new building and provided all interior design work.
ASI Limited has occupied its new building for about a year and enjoys its appearance and functionality. “The screen has really been an attraction. During the day you can see the perforated screen but at night with the backlighting from the building the screen doesn’t show and the building takes on a different look. It’s an amazing product. It’s very lightweight and has been taxed a few times by high winds. But it’s handled it quite well,” he added.
ASI Limited is now using Kalzip on two other major projects, one in Chicago and another in Raleigh, NC. “Now that we have it on our building, we’re noticing quite a bit of Kalzip in other projects and we’re using it more. It’s an exciting product for us with a lot of application. It has been a real value added product through the design build process that ASI Limited offers to general contractors, architects and developers,” he added.
Kalzip specializes in the international manufacture and supply of standing seam roofing, wall cladding solutions, PV solar solutions and foldable options for more traditional roofs and facades. In addition to its U.S. manufacturing facility, the company maintains its original factory in Germany, and facilities in China, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. With more than 100 mobile roll forming units, Kalzip guarantees a worldwide distribution of materials and services. Represented through a network of international sales offices and dedicated approved installers Kalzip is a key driver in the future innovation and development of tailored metal solutions for building envelopes.