MCA Recognizes Outstanding Building Projects with President’s Awards

GLENVIEW, Ill.  — The Metal Construction Association (MCA) recently recognized its 2010 President’s Award winners at its Annual Meeting in San Diego, Calif. The MCA President’s Awards are an annual designation given to outstanding building projects involving MCA member companies. The Awards honor innovation and creativity while showcasing how metal products help achieve exceptional building designs.

Each year, recipients are selected from projects submitted by MCA members to Metal Architecture Magazine’s annual Design Awards Program. This year, the honorees were chosen by an experienced panel of architects and an engineer. The panel consisted of:

> Elaine Fitzgerald, CSI, CDT, former project architect for Goettsch Partners, Chicago, IL. Ms. Fitzgerald is a registered architect with experience in commercial, higher education and high rise building design. She is an active member of the Construction Specifications Institute and Illinois Landmarks.

> Andrew M. Koglin, AIA, president of OKW Architects, Chicago, IL. Mr. Koglin has over 25 years experience with residential, retail, institutional and office buildings. Currently, he directs OKW’s retail and mixed-use project group.

> James C. Tuschall, president and CEO of Tuschall Engineering Company Inc., Burr Ridge, IL. Mr. Tuschall has 34 years of experience at Tuschall Engineering, an installer, fabricator and distributor of metal wall panels. He is active in MCA, serving as chairman of the Wall Panel Council and a member of the MCA Board of Directors.

The MCA President’s Awards were given in five categories: Overall Excellence, Roofing, Commercial-Industrial, Municipal-Institutional, and Residential. MCA also honored four projects with an Honorable Mention Award for each project’s unique or exceptional application.

The projects that received their respective 2010 President’s Awards were:

> Overall Excellence: Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. MCA member manufacturers are Contrarian Metal Resources; Firestone Building Products; and Umicore Building Products

> Roofing: Firecreek Restaurant, Downingtown, PA. Petersen Aluminum is the MCA member manufacturer.

> Commercial-Industrial: River Crossing Corporate Center, Tucson, AZ. MCA member manufacturer is Morin: A Kingspan Group Company.

> Municipal-Institutional: Arizona State University College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Phase 2, Phoenix, AZ. Firestone Metal Products is the MCA member manufacturer.

> Residential: BeauSoleil Home, Lafayette, LA. MCA member manufacturer is MBCI.

The following four projects were acknowledged with an Honorable Mention Award:

> Child Saving Institute, Omaha, NE, for its retrofit application. MCA member manufacturers are Alpolic and Centria.

> Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab, Cambridge, MA for exceptional use of sunscreens. The member fabricator is Doralco Architectural Metals.

> St. Bernard Parish Fire Station No. 7, Violet, LA for application of traditional profile panel. The member manufacturers are Kingspan Benchmark and Morin: A Kingspan Group Company.

> Piedmont College Arrendale Amphitheater, Demorest, GA for its unique overhang application. The MCA Member manufacturer is Alcoa Architectural Metals.

Overall Excellence: Art Gallery of Alberta

The Art Gallery of Alberta is a new visual arts center located in the city’s arts and government core in downtown Edmonton, Alberta. The building’s architectural design formally and philosophically extends out into the community, welcoming visitors of all ages and backgrounds to experience contemporary art firsthand. The 84,000-square-foot building was opened to the public in January, 2010.

The MCA judging panel was impressed with the materials used for the curved linear design that changes throughout the day and cited this project as an exceptional example of excellent workmanship.

Crafted of 60,000 square feet of zinc with a quartzite backing from Umicore Building Products, 50,400 square feet of coil applied “bead blast” stainless steel from Contrarian Metal Resources, 22,500 square feet of painted aluminum from Firestone Building Products and high performance glazing; the building has a timeless appearance and extraordinary durability in the northern climate.

A. Zahner Company designed, engineered and fabricated both the metal panels installed on the facades and all of the robust and very curvilinear forms — using their patented structural aluminum ZEPPS system.  All ZEPPS, stainless and zinc panels were fabricated and delivered to installation contractor Flynn Canada by A. Zahner. Ledcor Construction Ltd. was the lead contractor.

Designed by Randall Stout Architects, Inc., the materials selected for the buidling were designed to create a dramatic quality that allows the building to transform along with its natural surroundings.

Roofing: Firecreek Restaurant

This project involved a massive renovation of the historic Brandywine Paper Mill located on the Brandywine River.  Built in the early 1800’s, the low-lying 6,200 sq. ft. fieldstone building was first a sawmill and then a paper mill.  The recently completed Phase 1 includes the Firecreek Restaurant & Bar and several condo units in an adjoining three-story building.  Building owner SHDC Papermill Associates, LP used a contemporary design that incorporates huge gears and bull-wheels from the long-dormant printing operation, as well as the original steel roof trusses.

According to the MCA judges, the two roof types and finishes chosen are a nice compliment to the historic stone building.

Carroll Build Design chose 3,700 sq. ft. of 24 gauge Galvalume Plus High Snap-On Panels and 2,240 sq. ft. of 16 oz. 1/2″ Copper Corrugated Panels from Petersen Aluminum for the roof. Munn Roofing was the installer and the contractor was Carroll Contractors.

Commercial-Industrial: River Crossing Corporate Center

River Crossing Corporate Center is a new two-story office development and the home office for the architectural and engineering firm, M3.  One of the primary goals for River Crossing Corporate Center was to express, through the architecture of the new building, the nature of the work M3 does and be reflective of its client base.  The aesthetic of ribbed metal cladding best fit this expression as a textural compliment to the exposed braced-framed steel building.  Metal facing provides a sleek, strongly vertical surface to convey stability and strength.

The MCA judges were impressed with the palette of materials used and the thoughtful use of three different profiles – all integrated.

15,000 square feet of X-12-E Integrity Series Single skin, non-insulated panels from Morin: A Kingspan Group Company, were chosen by M3/Kappler LLC, the architect and building owner. The contractor was TBR Construction and Engineering and the metal installer was J.R. Tuttle Company.

Municipal-Institutional: Arizona State University College of Nursing and Health Innovation

The rapid growth of Arizona State University and the birth of their new downtown Phoenix campus create a special architectural and urban opportunity.  This compact, five-story building, owned by the City of Phoenix, serves as the campus’ primary gateway on its marquee corner.  

MCA’s judging panel complemented the beautiful, well-detailed use of the copper panel system. To them, the building felt very lightweight and is a nice reflection of the unison between the university’s campuses.

The project demanded an affordable, no maintenance material that could blend with a series of existing and new buildings on campus.  The project architect, SmithGroup, specified more than 36,000 square feet of UNACLAD Architectural Grade Sheet Copper (AGSC) from Firestone Metal Products in three different profiles with a randomly repeating pattern to create texture and a play of light and shadow.  The general contractor was DPR Construction Inc. and the metal installer was Kovach, Inc.

Residential: BeauSoleil Home

The University of Louisiana in Lafayette wanted to produce an affordable prototype for a solar home. They made a conscious effort to make performance and affordability a high priority. Metal can resist up to 130 mph winds, which is completely necessary in an area such as Louisiana.

According to the judges, this entry shows the progression in the roofing market and the future of the industry with the use of photovoltaics.  The project used MBCI’s 16″ LokSeam in Slate Gray and PBC Corrugated profile in Galvalume. The university in the building owner and also served as the architect, general contractor and metal installer.

For more information about the MCA President’s Awards, visit www.metalconstruction.org or contact us at mca@metalconstruction.org.

About the Metal Construction Association

The Metal Construction Association’s mission is to grow the use of metal through market development, education, technical programs and selective action on public policies that affect the use of metal in building projects. MCA’s next meeting is the 2011 Semi-Annual Meeting, set for August 1-3 in Raleigh, NC.