Featured Projects

Totaling 20,000 in square feet of space, the Elder Maintenance Shop in Des Moines, IA, utilized steel framing by Star Building Systems, along with a StarShield Roof System and StarMark Wall System. Completed in February 2007, the maintenance shop offered several structural challenges. The decision to use a Star pre-engineered building over conventional construction was due in part to time constraints dictated by the owner, as well as cost. The owner of Elder Maintenance Shop was also pleased with the advantages and durability of the StarShield Roof.

A 2,000 sq. ft. addition to the Siskin Steel & Supply building in Chattanooga, TN has made a huge impact on the appearance of the company’s headquarters. Linked to an existing brick structure, the expansion includes a new lobby, administrative offices and training room. Approximately 1,250 sq. ft. of Dri-Design 18 ga. stainless steel wall panels were utilized to create the transformation. The addition was designed by Franklin & Associates of Chattanooga, TN, with the installation of the metal wall panels handled by GenTech Construction Co., also of Chattanooga.

After diverting a creek that had caused devastating flooding in the 1970s, the City of Frederick, MD, embarked on a plan to redevelop a 1.3 mile-long, 40'-wide, concrete-walled water channel into useable public space. As part of a plan that included the expansion of the Carroll Creek Park and the construction of a 400-seat amphitheater and a gazebo, the city built three new pedestrian bridges. One of them uses a Cambridge Architectural MeshDefense™ system as its railings. In addition to being an aesthetically pleasing pick, the railing provides the necessary fall protection for pedestrians.

Approximately 9,000 sq. ft. of Bright Silver Omega-Lite® aluminum composite material wall panels from Laminators Inc. of Hatfield, PA, are featured on the exterior of the newly completed Yachiyo Headquarters in Columbus, OH. The project was designed by Dublin Building Systems of Dublin, OH, while the smooth-faced metal wall panels were installed by Ohio Glass & Aluminum of Columbus.

At the time of its purchase by D2 Realty, the 250 South Wacker building in Chicago needed work. But the new owners were prepared to do far more than the minimum to help the building realize its true market potential. With an investment of $25 million and the help of architects Bauhs Dring Seglin Main of Chicago, D2 essentially remade the 1950's era building into a modern, energy efficient mid-rise. As part of the 15-story structure's extensive makeover, the exterior was re-skinned with a rainscreen cladding featuring Reynobond® ACM from Alcoa Architectural Products. The new wall system was engineered by Shaffner Heaney Associates of South Bend, IN and installed by M.G. McGrath of Maplewood, MN.

The Old Masters Distribution Center in Orange City, IA, features metal building framing and exterior cladding products by VP Buildings. The facility includes warehouse and offices for the distribution of hazardous paints and varnishes. Products supplied by VP Buildings include SSR standing seam roofing formed from Galvalume-coated steel; Vee Rib wall panels in an Egyptian White color; and TextureClad wall panels in a Driftwood color.

VersaTube® Building Systems provided a temporary covered walkway system for use during major construction and facility improvements underway in 2008 at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Mich. The system layout consisted of a primary curbside 20-foot wide by 660-foot long walkway canopy and a series of connecting “tunnels” ranging from 160 feet to 300 feet in length. The design allowed for quick disassembly and relocation of a connecting “tunnel” along the primary walkway to correspond with the area of the terminal building under construction at the time.

The Bay Area Fellowship Church in Corpus Christi, TX, is considered one of the fastest growing churches in the United States. To continue its growth, the progressive, media-driven church has undertaken a two-phased construction project on a 90-acre site. The recently completed Phase 1 provides 92,000 sq. ft. of worship and educational space within a building that's contemporary in design. Featured on its exterior is nearly 37,000 sq. ft. of Metl-Span CF Architectural Wall Panels.

Religious facilities are a specialty of Virginia Beach, VA's Barnes Design Group. When it was commissioned to design a massive addition for the Calvary Revival Church in Norfolk, VA, the firm used materials of permanence to craft a decidedly contemporary look. Among the products and materials it relied on to achieve its design goals were approximately 16,000 sq. ft. of Envelope 2000® rout and return wall panels from Citadel Architectural Products. Provided in Silver Metallic, Matte Black and Princely Purple colors, the panels highlight newly created entrances and entryway design features.

The 88,500 sq. ft. second floor of the Cecil County Administration Building utilized Star Building Systems’ StarASR Roof System in Evergreen color. Completed in November 2007, this county administration building in Elkton, MD, used a combination of a pre-engineered metal building and conventional construction. The structure has a conventional first floor, and sitting atop the first floor is a pre-engineered Star Building.

Designed by Murphy Jahn Architects of the United States and completed in the fall of 2006, the new world headquarters of Merck Serono in Geneva, Switzerland is comprised of a sprawling six-story building nestled among and integrating a trio of smaller historically significant industrial structures. As a means of establishing a visual relationship between the 463,000 sq. ft. of new construction and the existing buildings—in a manner that complied with preservation orders protecting the latter—the architect topped both the new building and the renovated structures with 90,000 sq. ft. of Kalzip™ 65/500 standing seam aluminum roofing from Corus Building Systems.

A LandscapeInteriors™ metal fabric application from Cambridge Architectural adds a high-end aesthetic to the interior of Comix, a newly-designed comedy club in New York City’s fashionable Meatpacking District. StudioRED specified metal fabric in Cambridge’s modified Shade pattern for the LandscapeInteriors system. The mesh features flexible, open weaves that resemble chain mail and can be installed as window treatments, virtual space dividers or as dynamic design elements with track hardware. A combined 194 sq. ft. of woven metal mesh was used for this project.

Omega-Lite® aluminum composite material wall panels add to the modern look of a recently completed apartment building in Brooklyn, NY. Michael Muroff Architects of New York City designed the 219 Withers Street structure, which features on its exterior approximately 2,000 sq. ft. of the panels. They were fabricated at the job site and installed by Imperial Glass Works using Laminators' proprietary Clip & Caulk attachment system.

The design and construction of the $5.5 million Chicago Harbor Lock Control House marks the first phase of renovation for the 70-year-old lock. To design the new building, which is located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Chicago River, the US Army Corps of Engineers commissioned CTE AECOM. The firm's nautically inspired theme for the new structure called for wrapping the exterior with 9,000 sq. ft. of Reynobond® ZCM from Alcoa Architectural Products. Shaffner Heaney Associates of South Bend, IN, engineered and fabricated the panels needed for the challenging project, while BBC, located in Bensonville, IL, handled the installation.

The ex-Navy Seal and founder of BLACKHAWK! Products Group, a leading U.S. manufacturer of tactical, military and law enforcement equipment, challenged the architect to create a look for his new headquarters building that would “reflect the strength and ruggedness of our products.” The design for the 65,000 sq. ft. facility and winner of a 2008 AIA Award of Design Excellence certainly accomplished the mission. Among the product featured on the exterior of the $7.5 million, Norfolk, VA-project were 4,800 sq. ft. of Citadel Envelope 2000® Rainscreen System panels, finished in Bone White and Natural Copper.

The University Of Minnesota Equine Center in St. Paul, MN, is a 60,000 sq. ft. equine research facility that utilized Rigid Frame, Continuous Beam and Unibeam framing systems by VP Buildings. Metal roofing is VP’s SLR architectural/structural standing seam profile with a Colonial Red color in a Cool Roof coating formulation. The metal wall panels are VP’s TextureClad profile in a Sand color.

An RS4 ACM rainscreen cladding system from Armetco Systems Inc. of Justin, TX, provided the refined look and met the stringent performance requirements for the exterior of the recently completed JPS Health Network building in Fort Worth, TX. HKS Inc. of Dallas, TX, designed the 40,000 sq. ft. structure. Armetco fabricated the rainscreen panels from Alucobond aluminum composite material with a Bone White paint finish. Alucobond is a product of Alcan Composites USA Inc., Mooresville, NC.

Completed in May 2007, the Glasgow Fire Station in Newark DE, totals almost 8,000 square feet. The builder chose to use Star Building System’s StarShield standing seam roof system and StarTherm wall system, in addition to Star’s steel framing. This project was a perfect fit for Star’s pre-engineered metal building due to clear span spaces required. A pre-engineered building was also chosen for its economic appeal.

DeGraff Development Inc. of Oakdale, California, recently completed the beautiful Family Lodge at Dodge Ridge, near Pinecrest, California. The 16,000 sq. ft. architecturally striking project used a roofing system of 24 gauge Span Lok panels in Weathered Copper color from AEP Span. The Swenson Snap Table® 6000 by Swenson Shear was used onsite for notching and shearing the panels for hemming. Located in the Dodge Ridge Wintersports Area, a family owned and operated ski area in the Sierras, the project was completed just in time for the start of the 2008 winter ski season.

The 58,000 sq. ft. expansion of the East Grand Rapids (MI) Community Center involved the complete reconstruction of the existing city hall and library facilities. Two buildings were combined into one large picturesque facility located on scenic Reeds Lake. The $9.4 million, LEED Certified facility received the 2007 Outstanding Facility Design Award from the Michigan Recreation & Park Association. Approximately 8,000 sq. ft. of Petersen Aluminum’s Tite-Loc Plus Panels finished in Zinc and Terra Cotta were utilized.