The new Aerzen USA plant in Coatesville, PA is one of the most environmentally-friendly industrial buildings in the state and is believed to be Pennsylvania’s first manufacturing facility to achieve LEED Gold certification. Aerzen manufactures high-end industrial blowers, vacuum pumps and compressors.
A key feature in the facility’s energy-efficient, environmentally friendly design was its Metl-Span insulated metal wall and roof panels. Approximately 54,000 sq. ft. were utilized. The total included 5”-thick CF-42 Fluted walls panels, finished in Kynar 500 Cool Parchment, and 5”-thick CFR-42 standing seam roof panels, finished in Kynar 500 Polar White. The interior profile for both the roof and walls was Mesa.
The plant was designed by Re: Vision Architecture of Philadelphia, PA. The firm, which specializes in high performance buildings, green design and sustainability, began the process with a 5-day design charette. “It was one of the most successful charettes that we’ve conducted,” said Mike Cronomiz, project architect. “The client initially wanted a ‘green tinged’ building but the more they learned about sustainability and green buildings, the more they wanted to invest in it.”
The Metl-Span panels became a part of the project approximately one year after the design process started. “We were looking for a cost effective way to provide a really smart manner of finishing and insulating the space,” according to Cronomiz. “The design team discovered Metl-Span, and it was probably one of the best finds that we made. I can’t say enough good things about it. It provided outstanding insulation qualities, met our tight budget constraints and it was easy to install. The building was closed in less than a week.”
Installation of the Metl-Span panels was done by Perley-Halladay Associates, West Chester, PA. “A typical manufacturing warehouse would use standard siding and batt insulation,” explained John Halladay, sales manager. “In this case, since the team was going for LEED certification, the Metl-Span panels quadrupled the insulation value. The 5” panels that would normally be used for freezer applications really provide outstanding insulation qualities.”
An added benefit of the all-in-one Metl-Span composite panels is that they install directly on top of the purlins, according to Halladay. “They provide a nice interior skin that is attractive without having to add a liner panel of any sort. That’s always a bonus using Metl-Span,” Halladay said.
The general contractor on the project was Adams-Bickel Associates, Inc., Collegeville, PA.