The Pulichino Tong Business Center was designed to be the crown jewel of University of Massachusetts Lowell’s Manning School of Business and stands as the face of the North Campus Innovation District on University Avenue. Architectural firm Cambridge Seven Associates’ design serves to connect different interdisciplinary schools, and to promote a sense of community. The four-story building features an atrium, technology-enhanced classrooms, seminar rooms, faculty offices, a finance laboratory, meeting room spaces and collaborative study areas to provide students with the most cutting-edge educational tools.
Cambridge Seven Associates spared no expense on interior features, and the sentiment is shared with the exterior. In order to capture the sophistication of the exterior of the building, they specified CENTRIA insulated metal panels to meet the performance and aesthetic features that the modern era demands.
Saving money on heating and cooling costs was a strong consideration for Cambridge Seven Associates, so they specified insulated metal panels to save the building owner’s wallet by curbing energy waste with built-in thermal efficiency features. The sustainable panels offer an all-in-one thermal, air, vapor and moisture barrier, and are environmental product declaration (EPD) certified by UL Environment.
The quality of these performance features were matched by the panels’ advanced aesthetic features. The vertically-installed panels seamlessly integrate with long rows of windows. Panels of increasing length were used to create a diagonally-rising façade feature without sacrificing precious time due to the panels’ ease-of-installation.
CENTRIA’s Sundance Mica PVDF coating was specified in Silver Gray and Medium Gray to lend the building a cool, pearlescent façade, and works to protect the building’s exterior from the elements. These sustainability features work in tandem with the panels to earn the building LEED Silver certification.
The architect was Cambridge Seven Associates Inc. of Cambridge, MA. The CENTRIA products dealer/installer was Sunrise Erectors Inc. of Canton, MA. The facility was completed in April 2017.
CENTRIA products used on this project included:
• Formawall® Dimension Series® 3” Vertical - Square Feet: 10,868; Color: Silver Gray; Coating: Sundance AM; Finish: Smooth; Gauge: 26.
• Formawall Dimension Series 3” Vertical - Square Feet: 2,295; Color: Silver Gray; Coating: Sundance AM; Finish: Smooth; Gauge: 26.
• Formawall Dimension Series 3” Vertical - Square Feet: 2,274; Color: Medium Gray; Coating: Sundance AM; Finish: Striated; Gauge: 26.
• Formawall Dimension Series 3” Vertical - Square Feet: 642; Color: Medium Gray; Coating: Sundance AM; Finish: Striated; Gauge: 26.