A metal fabric system from Cambridge Architectural employs stunning, expansive panels of architectural mesh to add style and function to the parking garage serving the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) Dublin/Pleasanton Station in Pleasanton, CA.
Dublin/Pleasanton is one of 43 BART stations that facilitates travel to and from downtown San Francisco, the East Bay and San Francisco International Airport. It also features a number of local and regional bus connections, which makes it an important transportation hub. Because the station is so architecturally unique, plans called for its adjacent parking structure to meet the exact same design expectations – modern and memorable.
A Cambridge Parkade™ architectural mesh system clads the 1,200-space parking structure by covering large expanses of open area, including the main stairwell, and artistically blending its exterior with that of the Dublin/Pleasanton station. The result is a streamlined and sophisticated building that brings eye-catching detail and style to its ultimately utilitarian purpose.
“The amazing thing about our Parkade applications is that they are constantly reinventing themselves, and inevitably the very idea of parking structure design,” says Heather Collins, Director of Marketing for Cambridge Architectural. “The versatility of architectural mesh allows it to bring a certain freshness and new form to these buildings.”
The project team for the Dublin/Pleasanton BART parking structure found architectural mesh to be the perfect material for their design needs and performance expectations. Cambridge's attachment system allowed it to cover large gaps in several different garage levels without necessitating a great number of reinforcements or building protrusions. Visually, this allowed the mesh to be incorporated seamlessly and allowed the material's beauty to elevate the building's overall look.
“We needed a material that could cover vast expanses of area and carry on a visual dialogue with the existing BART station,” says Raju Nandwana, Vice President of International Parking Design, Inc., the architect of the project. “Cambridge's stainless steel mesh provided a largescale cladding solution with aesthetic intrigue – reflecting the serpentine titanium roof of the station.”
Functionally, the physical make-up of woven metal fabric permits it to act as a durable building shell without sacrificing transparency – an important safety and security consideration in parking structures. Mesh acts as a barrier, but does not block views from the inside out or outside in. Not to mention, Parkade systems hold up very well in the natural environment, and maintain their original look for many years.
Cambridge is committed to assisting the design and construction team from initial concept to final installation on each and every project. For the BART parking structure project, metal fabric panels were specifically engineered to fit the building's open areas, including the stairwell, ensuring an issue-free installation.
“Everything went very well out in the field,” says Maury Wright, Project Manager for Romak Iron Works, contractor/installer of the project. “Cambridge's in-house engineer really helped us to better understand the design-build system and effectively advised us on its installation.”
The Parkade system was fabricated with mesh in Cambridge’s Braid pattern, which features flexible open weaves that shade and screen structures including facades, parking garages and pavilions. Cambridge’s Modified Eclipse™ tension attachment hardware was used to install the Braid product. Created especially for cable rod products such as Braid, the Talon hardware grips a reinforced rod at top and bottom edges. Intermediate brackets at required intervals maintain stability and alignment of the mesh. The Talon hardware is appropriate for lengths of metal fabric held in tension up to 100 feet.
Construction on the Dublin/Pleasanton BART parking structure was completed in October 2007. The project team consists of architect International Parking Design, Inc., Alameda, CA, and contractor/installer Romak Iron Works, Benecia, CA.
Cambridge Architectural Parkade metal fabric solutions lend unique aesthetic appeal, functionality, affordability and sustainable benefits to parking structures. As exterior cladding for parking garages, Parkade applications provide ventilation, fall protection, visibility, headlight attenuation, safety, security and many additional functional benefits. Cambridge offers a wide range of metal fabric patterns and corresponding attachment hardware, and is always available for comprehensive design and engineering assistance. With every project, Cambridge provides turn-key installation.