After perforated aluminum screening was ruled out as unsatisfactory, Airolite louver screen walls were selected as an alternative to encapsulate a multi-level parking structure connected to the exterior of the new International Finance Bank's General Funding Office Building in Miami, FL. Completed in 2012, the institution is owned by Grupo IF, a privately held family enterprise that's been doing business in North and Sorth America for more than 50 years.
A stunning, new 13-story, 90,500-square-foot corporate headquarters building for the International Finance Bank (IFB) was completed in 2012 in Miami, Florida. IFB offers a full range of residential and commercial mortgages and is owned by Grupo IF, a privately held family enterprise that’s been doing business in North and South America for more than 50 years. The building achieved LEED Silver Certification by incorporating many sustainable building features such as (but not limited to) preferred parking spaces for low-emitting vehicles, computerized lighting controls, a white roof to minimize heat gain and three rainwater-irrigated terraces.
To complement the building’s sleek, modern exterior sightlines and to ensure a favorable first impression of the new corporate headquarters, the 302-space parking garage located on the first four floors was enclosed on three sides by nonlinear Airolite type ENCB609 louver screen wall. The louvers were chosen for their reliable manufacturing tolerances and aesthetic contribution to the overall design.
The nonlinear louver screen walls add depth, definition and relief to the parking structure’s façade and minimize visibility of vehicles parked inside the structure. The louvers were coated with pearlescent warm silver two-coat Kynar paint coating for durability and to ensure compatibility with adjacent materials and finishes.
Airolite Louver Screen Type ENCB609 is a versatile, inverted, horizontal blade, 4-inch (101.6 mm) deep architectural louver screen designed for applications that require economical sight barriers. The inverted louver screen blade profile provides an effective visual screen when viewed from grade or any lower elevation.
In total, 10,000 square feet of Airolite louvers type ENCB609 were designed, fabricated and installed to screen the parking lot structure and support the building’s aesthetic objectives. In addition, the louvers allow natural ventilation of the enclosed parking space and prevent water penetration into the parking area. The 160 ft. x 100 ft. x 120 ft. screen walls are made up of approximately 210 sections that are ten feet wide x five feet tall.
The louver sections feature concealed vertical mullions and horizontal stack joints and produce continuous, uninterrupted horizontal sight and shadow lines around three sides of the parking structure.
Multiple combinations of acute and obtuse mitered corners yield a multifaceted, nonlinear facade; and strategically placed cut-outs provide convenient view openings. All-welded construction was specified for durability and to maintain joint alignment and control of angularity.
Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates Inc. of Coral Gables, FL, designed the building. Coastal Construction Group of Miami was the general contractor. Architecture Metals of Jupiter, FL was the Airolite representative.