The $22-million University of North Florida (UNF) Student Wellness Complex is an 82,000 sq. ft. facility intended to provide recreational and wellness opportunities for students, faculty, and staff. The multi-story building – predominantly clad in metal panels from CENTRIA - also includes educational, social, and administrative spaces. It was designed to be compatible with the existing campus architecture, and the long-term plan encompasses the conceptual implementation of a promenade between the new Student Union and remote parking, as well as the modification of current roadways to incorporate a pedestrian plaza between the Wellness Complex and the Student Union. This project has received LEED Gold Certification.

The multi-faceted building was constructed from the existing 9,700 sq. ft. recreation center. It features a glass screen wall on the longest side and metal paneling as the main exterior coating. It was named “Florida’s Building of the Week” by worldarchitects.com for its eclectic and distinctive design and its smooth integration with the other buildings on campus and in the region. The new facility include a 32-foot climbing wall, 27,000 square feet of fitness floor space, a 1/8 mile track, a personal fitness and nutritional assessment center, indoor group fitness rooms, and a multi-use balcony.

The University of North Florida wanted to develop a building that, while visually distinctive, integrated seamlessly with the existing campus structures and the feel of the region. The utilization of CENTRIA metal panel systems provided the architect with flexibility, quality and style in this design while staying on a reasonable budget.

CENTRIA’s Formawall Dimension Series reimagines metal by providing thermal efficiency and moisture control in a single panelized component. The insulated panels include factory foamed-in-place cores, which serve to minimize insulation gaps, along with thermal breaks between the faces and liners. The vertical panels chosen for this project can be integrated with wall components and hence allow for an integrated, high performance system.

The Formawall Graphix Series combines aesthetics with value by making one single panel look like up to 12 smaller ones. This flexibility makes it easy and economical to create unique designs. Not only are the panels factory foamed for unparalleled thermal performance, but they have rainscreen principle joinery for superior weather resistance, are pressure equalized, and have a thermal break between panel face and liner. On top of everything, the series is easy to handle and install.

Ecoscreen Perforated Screenwall panels provide a translucent effect to control light and air movement while still ensuring safety and security. Their unique design elegantly blends industrial applications to their surroundings.

The architects were Borrelli + Partners of Orlando, FL and PSA/Dewberry of Orlando, FL; The CENTRIA products dealer/installer was SECO Architectural Systems of Huntersville, NC; and the contractor was Gilbane of Pittsburgh, PA.

CENTRIA products used on this project included:

• Formawall® Dimension Series® 2” Vertical - Square Feet: 13,269; Color: Silversmith; Finish: Smooth; Coating: Sundance™ Mica; Gauge: 22

• Formawall® Graphix Series™ 2” Vertical - Square Feet: 3,437; Color: Silversmith; Finish: Smooth; Coating: Silversmith; Gauge: 22

• Profile Series Ecoscreen® Econolap 3/4”x 34 - Square Feet: 5,386; Finish: Perforated 40%; Gauge: 20