As a world-leading provider of advanced non-destructive testing (NDT) technologies, Eddyfi Technologies helps original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), asset owners and service companies enhance productivity, save lives and protect the environment. When it came time to design and construct a new world headquarters in its hometown of Quebec City, the company asked that those same values be reflected in its architecture.

Designed by Quebec City neighbor Coarchitecture, Eddyfi Technologies’ world headquarters building is a model of contemporary architecture, biophilic design and sustainable materials – from the generous application of locally sourced wood and use of large, triple-glazed windows, to the selection of solvent-free PPG Coraflon coatings to protect and embellish its muted aluminum cladding.

Resembling a high-tech graphics card and functioning as a second skin that veils interior space from southern sun exposure, the perforated metal wall that envelopes most of the building’s second floor is finished with three custom colors formulated specifically for the project by PPG. Most of the metal façade is covered in PPG Coraflon White Pearl powder coating, offset by a lesser amount of PPG Coraflon Gauntlet Gray powder coating. A small section of the cladding – less than 1,000 square feet – is finished with a beige-colored, metallic PPG Duranar XL liquid coating.

Richard LeBlanc, vice president of Anacolor, said PPG Coraflon powder coatings were specified to help the building achieve LEED® v4 certification. Anacolor is a long-time member of the PPG Certified Applicator Program™ (CAP).

“Coarchitecture wanted all the colors to be formulated in powder because it was a LEED project, but the firm still wanted the quality it was used to getting from PPG Duranar liquid coatings,” said LeBlanc. “We proposed the use of PPG Coraflon powder coatings because we knew they would meet the same AAMA 2605 standard for weathering performance as PPG Duranar coatings while also meeting the low VOC requirements mandated by LEED.”

Based on a fluoroethylene vinyl ether (FEVE) resin, PPG Coraflon powder coatings incorporate proprietary PPG formulations that have enabled PPG Duranar liquid coatings to protect landmark buildings for more than 50 years. The coatings offer a bright color palette and an extensive range of glosses.

As long-time collaborators on other high-end projects, such as Centre Vidéotron, Quebec City’s new hockey and event arena, Anacolor and PPG were able to expertly handle the specialized demands of the Eddyfi Technologies building.

“Coarchitecture selected us for this project because the firm was familiar with our company and the quality of our work, and we selected PPG because we know the quality of its products,” LeBlanc said. “The most challenging part was getting the color the architect wanted formulated in PPG Coraflon powder coatings, especially the White Pearl, which had to be bonded in a special way to preserve the pearlescent effect. The experts in the PPG color lab did a fantastic job on that.”

According to a project profile published on Coarchitecture’s website, the special effects produced by PPG’s metal coatings also express the dynamism of Eddyfi Technologies: “In the evening, the edges of the [metal] veil become luminous slices, highlighting the distinctive volumetry of the building. In some key places, it completely dematerializes to articulate an open and transparent window on the city, to frame points of view and to reveal the structure of the wood from the outside.”

Opened in September 2018, Eddyfi Technologies’ headquarters building incorporates a full range of biophilic and sustainability features to create an environment that appeals to the company’s staff and enhances their professional lives. These features include floor-to-ceiling windows that connect occupants to natural light, weather conditions and the surrounding woodlands, as well as natural ventilation, a sun-filled central atrium, and indoor and outdoor meeting spaces.

About Anacolor Inc.

For more than 50 years, Anacolor Inc. has specialized in the technical process involved in the surface treatment and coating of windows and doors, as well as curtain walls, flat panels, curved panels, mullions, covers columns and shutters.

LEED – an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – is a registered trademark of the U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL®.

Photography by David Boyer