The new Western Centre for Public Health and Family Medicine is the gateway building to Western University’s recently created Westminster Campus in London, Ontario, Canada. The 32,000 sq. ft. building sits on a previously undeveloped site across Medway Creek from the main campus. Designed as a signature entryway to the new master-planned quadrant of the campus, the building offers a contemporary appearance yet reflects some of the characteristics of the neo-Gothic style of the main campus.

Approximately 21,500 sq. ft. of RHEINZINK prePATINA blue-grey Vertical Standing Seam Panels were used to accomplish the design objectives. RHEINZINK was also utilized in soffit and flashing applications on the four-story structure.

Architectural design was created by Perkins + Will, Toronto. “This was our first use of zinc on a college campus,” said Doug Oliver, project architect and associate principal. “And it’s a little unusual for a university because the vocabulary generally tends to be fairly conservative. But we thought there was an opportunity here to strike a more contemporary tone with this building and the RHEINZINK was part of that language.”

The architectural zinc interfaces with a stone base and the design also includes narrow windows which reference the neo-Gothic style of other campus buildings. “We felt the RHEINZINK was a sympathetic material in combination with the stone base and it was chosen in part for environmental reasons as well as longevity and its low-maintenance characteristics,” according to Oliver.

The architectural firm has considerable experience in using zinc as a design material. “One of our specialties is cancer centers and we have used zinc in some manner on nearly all of them,” Oliver reported.

The Installation of the RHEINZINK panels on the Western University project was done by Ontario Panelization, London, Ontario. "The installers did a great job,” Oliver said.

The panels were fabricated by RHEINZINK distributor Agway Metals, Brampton, Ontario.