A 19,000 sq. ft. addition to the Science Building at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, MI provides much needed space for the school’s science department. The expansion includes four new laboratories and two new classrooms. Incorporated into the addition’s exterior design is 13,000 sq. ft. of DRI-DESIGN rainscreen wall panels, fabricated from 1mm-thick VMZINC® Anthra Zinc® and Quartz Zinc®.
DRI-Design panels are manufactured by Holland, MI-based Dri-Design. They are 100% recyclable and can be made from a variety of materials including zinc, copper, stainless steel, and painted and anodized aluminum. Panels are available in any Kynar 500® color and are sized and detailed to meet the specific requirements of each project. The system is Dade County and AAMA 508-07 approved.
VMZINC is the trade name for the titanium zinc rolled for architectural applications by Umicore Building Products USA of Raleigh, NC. The material is available is a range of surface aspects and pigmented colors, including Anthra Zinc and Quartz Zinc. Anthra Zinc has a black pre-weathered surface color while Quartz Zinc resembled naturally patinated zinc.
The SHW Group, Berkley, MI, designed the addition. The project is LEED registered and is slated for Gold certification. Handling the DRI-DESIGN system installation was C.L. Rieckhoff Company Inc. of Taylor, MI. The company’s project manager was Jim Herman. He said 2,800 zinc panels were utilized on the project and noted, “the job went really well.”
About Umicore Building Products USA / VMZINC®
Umicore is a worldwide leading producer of architectural zinc under the VMZINC® brand name. For more than 160 years, Umicore has provided innovative solutions for building owners, architects and contractors. Umicore has offices and representatives all over the world. In the United States, Umicore Building Products USA, Inc., is based in Raleigh, NC. For additional information, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.
Photographs by Mark Kempf, St. Louis