Zibi Block 211 is an eight-story “state-of-the-art, Class A office project” in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Alucoil’s larcore® panels played a significant role in the success of the project, helping the architect “perfectly achieve the expression we were looking for.”

Goran Milosevic, Principal at KPMB Architects of Toronto, was able to combine a historic masonry appearance with the contemporary look provided by larcore.

“The building is a dual expression of the masonry heritage of the historic industrial building of Chaudière Island, as well as a lighter, more contemporary east loft element intended to pick up the ambient light and the shimmer of the (Ottawa) River,” Milosevic says. “Together, the building reads as a whole with varied expressions. The masonry loft anchors the building at the west side and fronts onto Booth Street and utilizes a brick similar to the heritage masonry. The contemporary east loft is intended to be light and shimmering with the glass and folded Alucoil panels reflecting the light and the sky. It transforms with the ambient conditions.”

Integro Building Systems of Maple, Ont., fabricated and installed 19,300 square feet of larcore panels. Alucoil’s larcore panels are a continuous process aluminum honeycomb building panel designed to serve as architectural façades, false ceilings, sun shades and slats. Notably, larcore panels meet CAN/ULC-S135, the building material test that determines combustibility parameters.

“We do a lot of work like this and we separate ourselves by being willing to do custom installs,” says Jim Mitchell, Vice President of Integro Building Systems of Maple, Ont. “We design and engineer the aluminum attachment and fittings to ensure the integrity of the installation to our curtainwall. The larcore honeycomb panel is an architectural feature. We like it for its strength, rigidity and light weight.”

The Zibi Block 211 development is an eight-story mixed-use building with retail on the ground floor and office space above. The second floor matches the ground floor footprint, but the third floor is larger, the floorplate expands to add a slight overhang above the lower floors.

“The Alucoil product was a suggestion by the fabricator, Integro, proposed during the design-assist process,” Milosevic says. “We were looking to achieve a crisp, very flat, folded panel expression projecting from the plane of the unitized curtainwall. Upon more detailed review of the panel system and its fabrication process, it was clear that it would perfectly achieve the expression we were looking for. We particularly liked the ability to achieve a flat surface, which the honeycomb backup core excelled at. The ability to modify the core to achieve the folded panel expression was also a major benefit. Finally, the panel also allowed some post-fabrication capabilities which the fabricator appreciated.

“The composite assembly allowed for a workable method to achieve the design expression required, as well as provide a product that would accommodate constructability issues that the local fabricator had to manage. Alucoil’s design support team was strong and helpful in the development process.”