MCA's 2014 Chairman's Award Winners Announced

Legacy ER

Painted Rock Estate Winery Tasting Room

Max Planck Florida Institute

Chaffin Junior High School Addition-Renovation

Exploration Tower At Port Canaveral

North Scottsdale Park and Ride

Newport Beach Civic Center and Parking Structure

Orchard Willow Residence

Valparaiso University

Chicago, IL – The Metal Construction Association (MCA) recognized its 2014 Chairman’s Award recipients during the METALCON Tradeshow and Conference in Denver. METALCON is the only event dedicated to metal construction products, technologies and solutions. This year’s show was held on Oct. 1-3 at the Colorado Convention Center.

The Chairman’s Awards are an annual designation given to outstanding building projects involving MCA member companies. Recipients for the awards are selected each year from projects submitted by MCA members to Metal Architecture Magazine’s annual Design Awards Program. The honorees were chosen by a panel of professional architects, which included Elaine Tisovec Fitzgerald, AIA, CCS, ArchiTech Consulting, Inc., Mount Prospect, IL; Michael Fitzgerald, AIA, Principal, OKW Architects, Chicago, IL; and Steven Blye, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Legat Architects, Chicago, IL. 

The MCA Chairman’s Awards were given in nine categories: commercial/industrial; education, colleges and universities; education, primary and secondary schools; institutional; metal roofing; municipal; and residential. The judges also recognize projects with awards for honorable mention and overall excellence.

Award recipients were determined based on overall appearance, significance of metal in the project, innovative use of metal, and the role of metal in achieving project objectives.

The 2014 Chairman’s Award winners in each category were:

• Overall Excellence:

Legacy ER in Allen, Texas
MCA member manufacturer: RHEINZINK America, Inc.
Architect: 5G Studio Collaborative

• Commercial/Industrial:

Painted Rock Estate Winery Tasting Room in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada
MCA member manufacturer:3A Composites USA
Architects: Fallowfield Design + Development and Robert Mackenzie Architect, Inc.

• Education - Colleges and Universities:

Max Planck Florida Institute in Jupiter, Florida
MCA member manufacturer: D. Architectural Metal Solutions Incorporated
Architects: Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects, PGAL

• Education - Primary and Secondary Schools:

Chaffin Junior High School Addition-Renovation in Fort Smith, Arkansas
MCA member coating manufacturers: PPG Industries, Inc. and Valspar
Architect: Architecture Plus, Inc.

• Institutional:

Exploration Tower at Port Canaveral in Port Canaveral, Florida
MCA member manufacturer: Firestone Metal Products
MCA member coating manufacturer: Valspar
Architect: GWWO, Inc.

• Metal Roofing:

North Scottsdale Park and Ride in Scottsdale, Arizona
MCA member coating manufacturer: PPG Industries, Inc.
Architect: DWL Architects + Planners, Inc.

• Municipal:

Newport Beach Civic Center and Parking Structure in Newport Beach, California
MCA member manufacturer: Umicore Building Products USA, Inc.
Architect: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

• Residential:

Orchard Willow Residence in Chicago, Illinois
MCA member manufacturer: Tuschall Engineering
Architect: Wheeler Kearns Architects

• Honorable Mention for Creative Detailing:

Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana
MCA member manufacturer: D. Architectural Metal Solutions Incorporated
MCA member coating manufacturer: PPG Industries, Inc.
Architect: EHDD

Details about each project follow:

Overall Excellence Award Winner:
Legacy ER in Allen, Texas

Described by some as a “metal origami,” the facility functions both as a state-licensed emergency facility as well as an urgent care clinic. The emergency room is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

 “The owners wanted to create a distinctive facility,“ architect Yen Ong said. “We presented this modern look and proposed RHEINZINK because it’s a sustainable metal, it’s durable and, in spite of its cool hue, it’s still very warm and charming.  We really wanted to capture the essence of an ER physician’s role in a patient’s life.  I think we were successful in doing that, especially with zinc, because the material is very flexible, very durable and very precise.  It captures all of the attributes of physicians that patients in this situation want to see.“

The large, sloping soffits clad with perforated RHEINZINK panels provide the signature look.  “We used the perforations to create a diffusion for the building lighting,“ Ong said.  “The perforations are larger toward the outer edges and smaller toward the inside to achieve the gradient of light.  At night, the diffused lighting pattern is quite evident.“

The MCA member involved with the project was RHEINZINK America, Inc.  The project features RHEINZINK perforated Reveal Panels and RHEINZINK Standing Seam Panels. The architect was 5G Studio Collaborative of Dallas, Texas.  The contractor was UEB Builders of Scottsdale, Arizona.  The metal installer was Ramon Franklin LLC, of Fort Worth, Texas, and the metal distributor and fabricator was MetalTech-USA of Peachtree City, Georgia.

The Commercial/Industrial Award Winner:
Painted Rock Estate Winery Tasting Room in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada

The Painted Rock Estate Winery has achieved numerous accolades for its wines since this 60-acre property overlooking the eastern shore of Skaha Lake in Penticton, British Columbia, was purchased by John Skinner and his family in 2004.  Skinner decided in 2013 that it was time to focus on his plan to develop the estate as a wine tasting and entertainment destination. The new 1,600 square-foot one-story Painted Rock Estate Winery Tasting Room – which opened in September 2013 – was designed not only to accommodate on-site retail wine-tasting and sales but as a unique destination site for weddings, banquets and corporate events.

The winery's tasting room -- which is situated atop a picturesque bluff overlooking the vineyards and Skaha Lake with vistas of nearby mountains -- was designed to make the most of the natural view while honoring the brand's upscale marketing approach.

Formable Alucobond Metal Composite Panels (MCMs) played a vital role in creating the tasting room’s flowing form not only by accommodating the design’s radius curves but through its surface color.

The Alucobond naturAL material in the Reflect finish was used to accent two building wing areas with a mirror-like finish that reflects the area’s natural beauty. Guests can enjoy these views in the cladding as they walk to and from the tasting room and its open patio areas to the winery’s landscaped event lawn.

The MCA member involved with the project was 3A Composites USA. The project featured the company’s Alucobond(R) MCM panels.  The architect was Fallowfield Design + Development of Kaleden, British Columbia, in association with Robert Mackenzie Architect, Inc.  The contractor was Greyback Construction Ltd. of Penticton, British Columbia.  The metal fabricator was Keith Panel Systems Co. Ltd. of Vancouver, British and the metal installer was Laing Roofing Ltd.

Education - Colleges and Universities  Award Winner:
Max Planck Florida Institute in Jupiter, Florida

This new three-story, 100,000 sq. ft. research facility for the Max Planck Florida Institute will provide a state-of-the-art home for scientists and research teams.  The building is designed to foster productivity and collaboration of staff through an open atrium, conference rooms, social spaces for staff and visiting researcher interaction, a 100-seat auditorium, lunchroom and administrative offices.  The building was designed to reduce energy consumption and use materials wisely, resulting in not only meeting the requirements of the US Green Building Council's LEED-NC accreditation program, but also supplementing laboratory-specific energy-use reduction recommendations from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lab 21 environmental performance criteria.  The structure will provide high levels of stiffness and vibration isolation for sensitive imaging technologies, and will be flexible to accommodate an evolving research mission.

Metal was used for the entire cladding of this project for its resilience, durability and design. The building envelope is skinned in D. Architectural Metal Solutions Incorporated’s COMPOSITEcore(CCRS) rainscreen system with Kevlar. Additionally, D. Architectural Metal Solutions Incorporated’s custom aluminum sunshades accent every opening while adding to LEED qualifications.

The MCA member involved in the project was D. Architectural Metal Solutions Incorporated.  The architects were Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects and PGAL.  The contractor was a joint-venture partnership of the Weitz Company and DPR Construction, Inc., and The Weitz Company was also the metal installer. 

Education - Primary and Secondary Schools Award Winner:
Chaffin Junior High School Addition-Renovation in Fort Smith, Arkansas

Chaffin Jr. High School was first built in 1969 and lacked a creative atmosphere with little color.  With a growing population, the school was in need of more space in classrooms and in need of a new, more defined entry.  A new entry tower was designed with security in mind.  Seriousness aside, a playful, visually pleasing exterior was designed to reflect the creative learning happening behind classroom doors.  The school's new design is one students and faculty enjoy and are proud to be part of Chaffin Jr. High School.

Chaffin Jr. High School was a renovation project in need of desperate attention.  Efforts were spent coming up with a design that would update the school aesthetically as well as functionality.  The existing building was composed of mainly brick, therefore, metal was selected to balance the brick facade.  Smooth metal wall panels were used on various parts of the addition, including the main entry and music/fine arts addition.  The color gradation panels allow passersby to immediately recognize the school.  The custom aluminum tube 'baguette' system characterizes the school and helps the design stand apart not only in the Fort Smith District but surrounding districts as well.

The MCA members involved in the project were coatings manufacturers PPG Industries, Inc. and Valspar. The architect was Architecture Plus, Inc.  The contractor was G.A.G. Builders, Inc. and the metal installer was Architectural Glass and Metals.

Institutional Award Winner:
Exploration Tower at Port Canaveral in Port Canaveral, Florida

With its shimmering, iridescent exterior, Exploration Tower at Port Canaveral beckons visitors with its unique appearance as its color changes in different light and at different angle. Opened in November 2013, the Port’s iconic welcome center showcases the first use of Valspar’s new Kameleon™ Color mica coating as spray-applied to Firestone Metal Products’ UNA-CLAD™ metal wall panels by Linetec, one the nation’s largest finishers of architectural aluminum.

An integral part of Florida’s Space Coast and Canaveral Cove’s revitalization, Exploration Tower is owned by Canaveral Port Authority. Its opening coincides with the Port’s 60th anniversary of its establishment and the 500th anniversary of Ponce de Leon’s landing on Florida’s east coast.

Taking its cues from the shapes and hues of the port, GWWO Inc./Architects designed the $23 million, seven-story, sail-shaped structure to express the common characteristics of “transience, function and imagery.” The building’s southern elevation soars from the water to the sky. It narrows in scale and reduces its exterior coverage until only the steel frame remains to outline the curvature and comes together at a peak 60-feet above the main roof level.

The building’s dynamic form and features – sun louvers, exposed structure and iridescent skin -- contribute to a constant sense of movement as the sun plays across the structure, meet functional needs, and evoke imagery of the Port and [Brevard] County. A rocket ready to launch, a surfboard in the sand, a ship’s hull, a rocket contrail; all can be seen in the structure’s striking presence.

The MCA members involved with the project was Firestone Metal Products and Valspar and the project featured UNA-CLAD Aluminum flat MCM wall panels.  The architect was GWWO, Inc.  The contractor was Skanska USA and the metal installer was KENPAT USA, LLC.  Firestone Metal Products was the manufacturer, Linetec was the metal finisher using a Valspar coating.

Metal Roofing Award Winner:
North Scottsdale Park and Ride in Scottsdale, Arizona

The Scottsdale Park and Ride is located on a 5.8 acre reclaimed site located south of Scottsdale Airport, at the end of an active runway. It serves as a transit center, a community park and gateway to the Scottsdale Airpark Area. The theme of the Park and Ride is that of Transportation – mainly aviation, given its proximity to the Airport. The Central Passenger Platform Canopy is an aviation-themed landmark, a great sloping wing positioned in such a way that it appears ready to take off down the runway.

As a multi-modal public transit facility, the Park and Ride provides commuters, cyclists and pedestrians access to bus/trolley service and vanpools. Passenger amenities include shaded parking and waiting areas, bicycle racks, chilled water fountain and vending machines. The facility is designed to be a net-zero project; more than 100% of the site's energy needs are created from the sun through photovoltaic panels mounted on parking shade structures. Among this project’s other sustainable features are LED lighting, conduits for future additional solar PV panels, and the installation of pervious concrete to reduce heat island build-up.

The Scottsdale Airport was formerly Thunderbird Field, a World War II training school for aviation cadets. The idea behind the design was to pay homage to the site's history by transforming the Central Passenger Platform into an abstracted 'Thunderbird,' a mythical creature depicted as a large, powerful bird. The platform's graceful 'wing' canopy is dynamic in nature, made possible because the metal shingles are able to gently bend with this free-form shape. These shingles are coated with a color-shifting finish that mimics the flashing feathers of the great bird, while the platform's central column shape and rough texture implies a leg and talon.

Metal is used throughout the site, in the custom-pattern, plasma cut steel benches, litter receptacles, bus route markers and whimsical 'outstretched hand' bicycle racks. The material is durable, able to endure the harshest desert summers and high traffic volumes associated with this type of project, but contemporary as well. It conveys an understated elegance that is characteristic of the Scottsdale Airpark Area's landmark architecture.

The MCA member involved with the project was PPG Industries, Inc. and the project featured the company’s Duranar VARI-Cool IR Reflective Coating.  The architect was DWL Architects + Planners, Inc.  The contractor was Howard S. Wright and the metal installer was Metal Works, Inc.

Municipal Award Winner:
Newport Beach Civic Center and Parking Structure in Newport Beach, California

On April 2010, the Newport Beach City Council approved several agreements that helped clear the way for two major city parks and a new civic center. This included a city hall building, one of the city’s largest parks (16 acres), a 450-space parking structure, a new community room, an emergency readiness room, new council chambers, a new city office building and an expansion of the Newport Beach Central Library.

Theexterior was built to last with quality materials, and VMZ Flat lock and Interlocking panels are used on the facade.

The MCA member involved in the project was Umicore Building Products USA, Inc. with the company’s VMZ Flat lock and VMZ Interlocking panels.  The architect was Bohlin Cywinski Jackson.  The contractor was C.W. Driver and the metal installers were CMF and TN Sheet Metal, Inc.

Residential Award Winner:
Orchard Willow Residence in Chicago, Illinois

The project is a 6,000 square foot, 3-story single-family residence in Chicago, Illinois.  With the first floor set down at natural grade, a textural concrete wall provides complete visual privacy within the garden, allowing the wooden framed interior living space to be enclosed with glass.  Large sliding doors and a continuous stone floor connect the interior and exterior as a single room.  Above the wooden pavilion, a narrow, copper clad volume floats on a clerestory band of windows, bringing light deep into the broad living space below.  Within the bedrooms, deeply recessed balconies are carved out of the copper enclosure to form light courts that shade the glazing, provide privacy and direct views away from the neighboring school to the distant Chicago skyline and sunset.

The goal was to create a home that was modern, yet timeless.  The forms and materials used are simple and clearly understood rather than complex.  The home is designed for a young family looking to plant roots.  We wanted the materials chosen for the home to be a reflection of them, aging and transforming as they would.

The MCA member involved in the project was Tuschall Engineering, which manufactured and installed the copper panels used.  The architect was Wheeler Kearns Architects.  The contractor was Norcon, Inc.

Honorable Mention for Creative Detailing:
Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana

Valparaiso University's motto, "In Thy Light, We See Light," grounds the light screen that marks the entrance to the Arts and Sciences Building. Surrounding the Latin motto are 39 different words for "light," representing 43 languages.  All 43 languages are identified on the light screen key.

A custom ½ inch Plate screenwall was custom cut to match the artist’s design file, then finished in a Kynar Finish. Additional custom sunshades, Screenwall support framing, and entrance canopy were also included to create the architect’s design.

Additional custom sunshades accompany the windows surrounding the building to maximize efficiency.

The "light" architectural and ornamental sunshades on this project were made from 1 design file provided by the artist. 

The MCA members involved in the project were PPG Industries, Inc. and D. Architectural Metal Solutions Incorporated and the company’s Custom Sunshades and Screenwall.  The architect was EHDD. McShane Construction Company served as the contractor and metal installer.

About The Metal Construction Association

The Metal Construction Association brings together a diverse industry for the purpose of expanding the use of metal in construction through marketing, research, technology, and education. Companies involved in MCA benefit tremendously from association activities that focus on research, codes and standards, market development, and technical programs. MCA’s market development efforts increase the use of metal in construction by educating the building and design communities about the benefits of metal. For more information about MCA, visit www.metalconstruction.org.