Office spaces are continuing to evolve – from open office layouts to contemporary exterior facades.
In fact, 2018 was a record year, as office construction spending reached a new high of $75 billion – an 8% increase over 2017. An estimated 72% of the office buildings currently standing were built more than 20 years ago when little to no attention was being placed on energy savings. As a result, the construction market is seeing an increase in both new construction and renovation projects.
Metl-Span® insulated metal panels (IMPs) deliver both the sleek and sustainable solutions that corporations need to house their employees in a reliable workspace. Equipped to cater to fast-tracked construction schedules, Metl-Span IMPs can be installed in all climates, providing the ideal solution for retrofits or new construction that will complete your office building project on-time and on-budget. Metl-Span IMPs are also equipped with superior insulating values that ensure peak productivity during the work day and all year long.
54 Middlesex Turnpike Office Building
Insulated metal panels were specified to provide a more modern look to the two-story Middlesex Turnpike office building in Bedford, Mass. The owner wanted to escort the facility, erected in the 1970s, into the 21st century.
Metl-Span provided approximately 16,000 square feet of 3-inch CF Architectural insulated metal panels in 24-inch and 36-inch widths. The IMPs, with a 22-gauge exterior skin and a 26-gaute interior skin, were installed over the existing split-face masonry wall using a custom clip, and to metal studs.
“The original building was constructed in two phases,” says Michael Frechette, AIA, of Dacon in Natick, Mass, noting the casual observer could notice the differences in the construction phases. “Insulated metal panels allowed us to pull it all together and provide the updated aesthetic the owner was seeking in an energy-saving system.”
Horizontal IMPs were installed in widths consistent with windows and other design elements of the building. Frechette says the Middlesex Turnpike office building now boasts a clean, consistent look, all around the building.
54 Middlesex Turnpike - Metl-Span CFA Horizontal
“The original façade was ripped off and we installed the insulated metal panels,” says Dave McGrath, sales engineer for Controlled Environment Structures (CES) of Mansfield, Mass. “Most of the work we do is from-the-ground-up new construction, because that’s the work that’s out there. We do our share of renovations. On this project, we installed insulated metal panels to metal studs and to the masonry.
“It’s a lot more difficult to do a horizontal renovation than a new vertical installation. We had to line up our seams with the mullions on the storefront windows. There is a lot of custom field work because we weren’t working off a blueprint; these are field conditions.”
Half of the Metl-Span insulated metal panels were Regal Gray and half were Polar White.
“It was a dramatic transformation,” says Frechette. “The original CMU (concrete masonry unit) was a very rough surface, but CES came up with a clever solution to attach the insulated metal panels to a sub-framing system. Now, you’d never know there was basically a concrete block building under there.”
McGrath says CES developed a clip to attach the IMPs to the masonry. Another challenge was working with panels that have a smooth finish. “The quality of manufacturing has to be right on with smooth panels or it can become problematic,” McGrath says. “Every imperfection shows up; you can’t hide sins in a smooth panel, but the Metl-Span panels were perfect.”
54 Middlesex Turnpike - Metl-Span CFA Horizontal
McGrath says the owner is extremely happy with the finished project and the building at Middlesex Turnpike is attracting some attention. “They light it up with LED lights at night and it looks great,” he says.
“The smooth finish adds to the crisp geometry the owner wanted,” Frechette says. “It is a clean aesthetic, an upgrade from the typical embossed finish.”
Architect: Michael Frechette, AIA, project architect, Dacon, Natick, Mass.
IMP Installer: Controlled Environment Structures LLC, Mansfield, Mass.
Completion Date: June 2018
Edie’s Crossing
METL-SPAN PANELS CLAD INNOVATIVE OFFICE PARK CONCEPT
The Edie’s Crossing office condominium development in Saratoga Springs, NY offers the small business or professional person the opportunity to buy or lease high quality, Class A space in a park-like space. Six additional 20,000 sq. ft. buildings are planned for the office park.
Approximately 14,000 sq. ft. of Metl-Span insulated metal panels in two profiles were used on the first building. The panels were installed in both horizontal and vertical applications. More than 7,200 sq. ft. of 3″ CF42 Santa Fe® wall panels finished in Regal Gray were installed vertically. Approximately 3,600 sq. ft. of 3″ CF24 and CF30 Striated wall panels finished in Cool Zinc Gray were installed horizontally.
The general contractor for the design/build project was Munter Enterprises, Inc., Middle Grove, NY. The project used a pre-engineered building frame for the structure. “Being metal building guys, we like the productivity and efficiency of the insulated panel,” according to Mike Munter, vice president. “You generally visit the wall once and you’re done. In this case, of course, we had some interior framing and drywall work to be done.”
Munter reports the greatest challenge was coordinating the layout of the windows and doors to line up with the panels in the horizontal application. “But everything went smoothly,” Munter said. “The metal building company we work with can furnish insulated panels but we prefer to buy them directly from Metl-Span.”
Design for the project was provided by Paone Architecture, P.C., Saratoga Springs, NY. “The job started as a classic cottage design to fit the personality of the area but about halfway through it was determined the building needed to have a more high tech, sharper look to attract a broader range of tenants,” according to John Paone, project architect. “The flexibility of the Metl-Span panels allowed us to change the look of the building completely and with virtually no cost increase. With the pre-engineered building and the modular panels, we were able to redesign the look just by changing the colors and switching to a horizontal application. That was huge.”
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