Room In The Inn is a Nashville, TN-based non-profit that provides a variety of services to Nashville’s homeless community. The organization’s Campus for Human Development, originally constructed in 1986 with the goal of offering a variety of services to Nashville’s homeless population from a single location, recently added a new $13 million Comprehensive Center. This campus hub – featuring architectural metal products from CENTRIA – is one of the only facilities of its kind in the nation designed to provide an extensive array of services to the homeless.

The five-story building features 38 affordable housing apartments, a state-of-the-art 13-classroon learning center, a cafeteria that serves lunch to 200-300 people daily, personal hygiene facilities, an on-site Human Services office, a library with internet access, and short- and long-term storage and secure storage for important documents and prescriptions.

Built largely through the support of local organizations and private donations, the Comprehensive Center was designed specifically to carry on Room In The Inn’s lasting community legacy. For this reason, building developers chose to use materials that were durable enough to stand the test of time without requiring high long-term maintenance costs or continuous upkeep, allowing staff members, and funds, to remain focused on helping the organization’s residents and patrons. The architect also wished to use materials manufactured within close proximity to Nashville.

Several CENTRIA products were chosen to meet the building goals of the Campus for Human Development’s Comprehensive Center, commissioned by the Nashville-based charity Room in the Inn. Formawall® Dimension Series®, Profile Series - IW Series and C/S Sunshades were selected for their ability to give the building a warm and inviting aesthetic that would inspire program participants without sacrificing building performance and long-term value.

CENTRIA’s Formawall Dimension Series is a wall system that provides both advanced thermal efficiency and moisture control in a single panelized component. Compared to traditional multi-component wall construction—typically requiring up to seven separate components, including a rainscreen, an air barrier, exterior gypsum sheathing, fiberglass insulation and a vapor barrier—Formawall Dimension Series is manufactured as one component, making it one of today’s preferred wall systems. Formawall Dimension Series panels were chosen for their unlimited possibilities in terms of form, color and texture, resulting in a fresh, welcoming and warm aesthetic.

The design team chose CENTRIA’s Profile Series IW-10A vertical concealed fastener panels because they are cost-effective and provide a smooth, unbroken appearance which added to the modern style of the exterior design. The IW Series was also used because its all-weather installation capability shortens installation time and permits fast-track scheduling.

C/S Sunshades, a joint creation of CENTRIA and Construction Specialties, Inc. (C/S Group), were chosen to shade the building without sacrificing aesthetics. These sunshades are engineered for seamless and thermally isolate integration with Formawall Dimension Series panels, allowing for easy installation and ensuring long-term product cooperation.

The project architect was Oxford Architects of Nashville, TN; the CENTRIA products dealer/installer was MPS, Inc. of Mt. Juliet, TN; and the contractor was American Constructors, Inc. The 46,000 sq. ft. facility was completed in September 2010.

CENTRIA products used on this project included:

• Formawall® Dimension Series®  2” Vertical with ½ ” Reveal. Square Feet: 6,148; Color: Silversmith; Finish: Smooth; Coating: Sundance Mica; Gauge 22/26.

• Profile Series IW Series 10A Vertical. Square Feet: 2,436; Colors: Silversmith and Light Seawolf; Finish: Smooth; Coatings: Sundance Mica and Fluorofinish; Gauge 22.

• C/S Sunshades.