Owensboro-Daviess Convention Center, a multi-purpose facility, brings Western Kentucky a new and premier meeting space in Owensboro, Daviess County. Completed in early 2014, the Convention Center project utilized an exterior anodized aluminum panel rainscreen system engineered and fabricated by MetalTech-Global with Class I anodized aluminum finish from Lorin Industries.

Situated on the banks of the Ohio River, the new convention center rises three stories and spans 177,000 sq. ft. This spacious facility meets all the typical functionality requirements of contemporary convention centers notably 40,000 sf of exhibition space, nearly 30,000 sf of meeting space and extensive public lobbies, as well as service and support facilities. Most importantly it will also serve as a significant economic development tool and an architectural centerpiece of the downtown master redevelopment plan.

“Lorin Industries is proud to have played a role in the project collaboration involving the design of the Owensboro, Kentucky Convention Center,” says Steven Soderberg, Corporate Marketing and Sales Manager of Lorin Industries. “This project was conceived by the design team and architects at Trahan Architects and through the collaboration of Trahan Architects, Lorin Industries, MetalTech-Global and F.L Crane, the results were absolutely stunning.”

Early 1800s tobacco barns found throughout the Kentucky region inspired Trahan’s design on the building’s exterior. To achieve this look, Trahan juxtaposed MetalTech-Global’s reveal panel system with Lorin Industries BlackMatt ColorIn® Long Line Brushed finish on the building’s exterior with ClearMatt® Long Line Brushed finish on the soffits and inward facing exterior walls. This combination created the dramatic effect they wanted to accomplish.

 

An old church dome in Orange, Texas returned to its former glory and got new life as The Center of Stark Cultural Venues, thanks in part to MetalTech-Global, a premier distributor and specialty fabricator of eco-friendly architectural metals.

Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation, a private operating foundation to encourage and assist education and to improve and enrich the quality of life in Southeast Texas, purchased the old church to be the central location of all Stark Cultural Venues, in May 2013.

The historic dome became an Orange landmark when erected in 1914 as the worship center for First Baptist Church, originally constructed as a brick building with a 35-foot dome comprised of wooden shingles. Over the past 100 years, the dome underwent several renovations to prevent corrosion and aid in waterproofing but these efforts did not permanently address the issues.

“In the 1960’s the dome was clad with metal,” said Gus Harris, Chief Properties Officer of Stark Foundation. “This served the church well but eventually began to leak, primarily due to inappropriate flashing and caulking near the bottom.”

The aluminum clad dome suffered major damage to the exterior over time from several severe storms and hurricanes including Hurricane Rita in2005 and Ike in2008, thus, causing it to leak and creating water damage to the interior. The plans to renovate were to render the structure watertight as well as changing the existing appearance of the dome to resemble the original 1914 design.

 

 

Zinc Treatment Farmington, Connecticut is stepping into the future of medical research with the newly completed Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine. The project is part of the state’s Bioscience Connecticut Initiative meant to jump-start local research and development. Identified as the catalyst to kick-start this initiative, Jax Genomic Medicine has settled into a 16-acre parcel of land adjacent to the University of Connecticut campus, strategically located near some of the country’s top educational institutions and medical facilities. The four-story, 183,500 square-foot medical research facility features 17 “wet” biology labs and 17 “dry,” computer-based labs clustered for collaborative purposes with additional faculty offices, employee amenities, and vast spaces for large group gatherings.

Jackson Laboratory – Zinc Facade
Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, RHEINZINK prePatina Blue Gray Zinc, Flatlock Facade Panels, photo by Robert Benson photography
Design of this sophisticated research facility was tasked to the team at Centerbrook Architects & Planners in concert with Tsoi Kobus & Associates out of Centerbrook, Connecticut and Cambridge, Massachusetts, respectively. The intention was two-fold, first to design a striking facility and second, to conserve funds for science while remaining sophisticated enough to draw internationally renowned scientists. For the façade of this facility, MetalTech-Global Zinc Panels were a perfect fit.

The building consists of a structural steel frame faced with Canadian limestone, glass, and 14,000 square feet of Zinc 1.0 mm prePatina Gray Zinc panels fabricated by MetalTech-Global. Centerbrook architect Andrew Santaniello cites aesthetics and longevity as being behind the choice of the exterior zinc cladding. Santaniello attests, “The zinc ages well and becomes more beautiful as the building ages. It also was a cost-effective option for metal cladding used on the project.” The Blue Gray hue of the zinc was another critical factor in its specification as Centerbrook favored a varied palette of materials and finishes that would complement each other. “The limestone has blue veining that the Blue Gray of the zinc was able to pick up on,” Santaniello adds. “It also subtly blended with the champagne and pewter colors of the aluminum curtain wall frame.”

The contours of the site provided significant design challenges and influenced the design’s shape to conform to a graceful arc while also allowing room for potential expansion as the lab continues to grow. The connecting joint of the existing facility and the prospective wing is a distinctive oval structure visually wrapping inside, providing continuity and blurring the boundary between inside and out. “Transparency was a big factor in the design of the building, and using the zinc on the interior again helps to create that continuity,” says Steve Palumbo of Tsoi Kobus & Associates.

 

New Latin American Representative MetalTech-Global, the nation’s premier distributor of sheet, coil, and finished architectural metal systems is literally broadening its horizons while aiming to quickly become the pre-eminent provider in the Latin American market. With LEED and Green Building projects on the rise, President Nils Simonsen has identified interesting business opportunities for MetalTech-Global south of the border. Simonsen cites, “the market development for LEED and other green building initiatives in Latin America is still coming forth and we hope to get in on the ground floor. By utilizing our EcoChoice™ materials and efficient cladding systems, we seek to introduce the sustainability component of our growing value proposition to our current and future customers in Latin America.”

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This exciting new undertaking will be facilitated by the newest addition to the MetalTech-Global team, Miss Andrea Ramirez Leon, in the position of In-house Legal Counsel. Miss Ramirez Leon holds dual degrees in law from Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico and Emory University School of Law in Atlanta allowing her to practice in both the United States and Mexico. She will work alongside MetalTech-Global’s growing sales team in expanding the business and positioning the company as the preferred specialty fabricator of architectural systems for high-end metals in the Latin American market. Working closely with architects and specifiers, Miss Ramirez Leon will acquaint them with the latest useful information regarding architectural metals and systems, providing additional tools and ideas to incorporate into their creative work.

Miss Ramirez Leon noted, relative to her new appointment, “I appreciate and welcome the opportunity to combine and apply my years of experience working as a business attorney in Mexico with my more recently acquired academic credentials in US law. MetalTech-Global’s success in the Latin American market, will undoubtedly translate in enriching my career and I’m excited to face the day to day challenges of working in this dynamic, emerging market.” Miss Ramirez Leon’s diverse professional experience, in conjunction with her multicultural background and proficiency in different languages such as English, Spanish, and Portuguese, will enable her to be the perfect liaison between MetalTech-Global and our new Latin American clients. “By acting as a bridge to facilitate the communication between our customers in Latin America and MetalTech-Global, my hope is that in addition to loving our products, our clients feel 100% satisfied with our customer service because we not only speak their professional language but also their native one.”

MetalTech-Global welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with future customers to develop an enduring and achievable vision for green building in Latin America.

Bienvenida Andrea!

MetalTech-Global is a premier distributor and specialty fabricator of eco-friendly architectural metals that specializes in roofing, rainwater, soffit and cladding systems. For more information, visit www.metaltech-usa.com, or call 770-486-8825.

 

Zinc Flatlocks,Residents of Denver’s prestigious Wash Park will be welcoming new neighbors to their ‘hood, compliments of the newly completed My Block Washington Park apartments on the south side of Speer Boulevard along Washington. The contemporary feel of this scrape-off, typical in a historic area experiencing revitalization, blends seamlessly among vintage edifices and modern duplexes. My Block, located on the outskirts of the neighborhood named for its expansive urban oasis, rises five stories above the tree-lined streets with 107, one and two bedroom units.