Solucent™ Fins from Cambridge Architectural add a visual and functional texture to the new Silver-LEED® certified Center for Business and Industry (CCBI) building on the campus of Chemeketa Community College in Salem, OR. The architectural mesh shading system lies perpendicular to the building exterior, creating a dramatic design while shading the structure’s windows.
The newly constructed CCBI facility, located in downtown Salem, houses workforce development and business support services geared toward sustaining the district’s economic vitality. The Chemeketa Community College faculty identifies performance gaps in Salem-based organizations then coordinates, delivers and evaluates assistance programs aimed to improve the operations of the business. In addition to accommodating the College’s expanded learning opportunities, the CCBI offers lease spaces for local businesses.
The center was designed with similar attributes as the buildings on the main campus of Chemeketa Community College, allowing CCBI’s brick structure to complement the classic look of the main buildings. To achieve Silver-LEED® certification, the facility’s design also incorporated different energy efficient strategies, including the installation of Cambridge’s Solucent Fin product.
The pre-engineered Solucent mesh Fins lie at a three-degree angle perpendicular to the building’s façade. Jutting out to create texture and interest, the stainless steel accents allowed the design team to control the amount of light entering the space for solar heat gain reduction needs.
"Cambridge was very helpful in the design-build process," says Bruce Van Hine, Project Manager for JE Dunn Construction, the contractor/installer for CCBI. "They built a detailed mock-up of the mesh fin and sent a representative on site to show us how the product would be attached to the building. As a result, the installation process went very smoothly, and the final product looks great!"
The architectural mesh panels allow for the beauty of elegant dividers between CCBI’s windows without sacrificing the sustainable benefits and structural appeal of the product. Among the sustainable attributes, Cambridge’s Solucent systems require minimal structural support, provide airflow into the building and boast a virtually maintenance-free and indestructible lifecycle. Cambridge Architectural’s stainless steel mesh is manufactured from recycled materials and readily recyclable at the end of its long service life.
"The Fin system designed for CCBI shows how Solucent materials provide a combination of effective shading and sharp accents of design," says Heather Collins, director of marketing for Cambridge Architectural. "We were excited to design one of our products for the center and show how our newest Solucent products contribute all the benefits of a traditional shading system with green benefits."
Cambridge’s Eclipse™ tension attachment hardware was used to install the Solucent Fin product for CCBI. Eclipse hardware adds an attractive edged border around the woven metal fabric of the fins, accenting the red brick structure of the building.
Construction on CCBI was completed in June of 2009. The project team consisted of Arbuckle Costic Architects, Salem, OR, contractor/installer JE Dunn Construction, Portland, OR and facility owner Chemeketa Community College, Salem, OR.
The Fin system used on CCBI, is part of Cambridge’s new second generation of Solucent prepackaged products that provide different levels of shading for every side of a building. There are four products in all – Veils, Fins, Visors and Canopies – each positioned on a building exterior in a different manner. Veils are placed parallel to the building, Fins are placed perpendicular to the building, Visors are placed perpendicular to the building above windows and Canopies provide an overhead exterior shade environment. Together, all of the products combine to provide various levels of shading and views on various building facades.