Add as a preferred source on Google

Panel Facade System Enhances Design

  • 12/01/17
Metalwerks

The Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management benefits aesthetically from Metalwërks’ precision metal façade system, which also allowed designers to come in under budget.

Metalwërks, a leader in precision metal plate exterior façade systems, provided 82,000 total square feet of its products for a new construction project at Morgan State University’s new business school in Baltimore, and the pedestrian bridge that connects the east and west sides of the campus.

The new six-story Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management is the jewel of the long-awaited Morgan Business Center. The building is clad with a number of Metalwërks products, including Arcwall DBV Spline panels, custom perforated column covers and skylight panels, and custom Econowall canopy and plate accent features throughout.

Before Metalwërks’ involvement, the original exterior specification was for terra cotta tile, which was coming in over budget. With no additional funding available, Metalwërks collaborated with design architects at Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) and Ayers Saint Gross—the local architect of record—to study a variety of wall systems, ultimately providing one that would save on funding considerably and win them the project in August of 2013.

The triangular-shaped structure takes advantage of the site’s significant north to south grade change—evident at a landscape view of the building. Its subtle curvature and wedge shape, along with various curtainwall levels, provided a challenge during the design phase—overcome by Metalwërks’ breadth of accommodating products and an integrated project team approach.

“Even with such a complex design, Metalwërks fabricated the facade flawlessly,” says Tarek Saleh, senior associate at Ayers Saint Gross. “Their design-build process was a great success, and the final product looks incredible.”

On the exterior of the business school building, varying sizes of Arcwall DBV (Drained, Back Vented) Spline panels were specified between vertical window units. The assorted panel sizes were incorporated and installed seamlessly.

www.metalwerksusa.com

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • abstract representation of hybrid learning environment

    The Permanence of Change: Why Hybrid Is the New Baseline

    Hybrid learning is here to stay, and it's reshaping how campus spaces function.

  • University of Rhode Island, Gilbane Partner for Three New Residence Halls

    The University of Rhode Island in Kingston, R.I., recently announced a public-private partnership with construction development firm Gilbane, according to a news release. Gilbane will soon start construction on three new residence halls with a total of 1,100 beds: two with apartment-style suites in northwest campus, and a reconstruction of the Graduate Village Apartments for graduate students.

  • Image credit: O

    Strategic Campus Assessment: Moving Beyond Reactive Maintenance in Educational Facilities

    While campuses may appear stable on the surface, building systems naturally evolve over time, and proactive assessment can identify developing issues before they become expensive emergencies. The question isn't whether aging educational facilities need attention. It's how institutions can transition from costly reactive maintenance to strategic asset management in a way that protects both budgets and communities.

  • textured paper collage shows a school building on fire as a fire truck sprays water into the flames

    Why a Fire Loss Is More than Flames

    We've all seen what fire damage can do to a property, but the types of damage building owners often encounter after a fire loss can exceed expectations. Having full awareness of the different forms of damage properties can sustain helps owners respond faster, reduce continued damage, and get back on the road to recovery in short order.

Digital Edition