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Norcross, GA: Reynobond® Aluminum Composite Materials (ACM) from Alcoa Architectural Products (AAP) are integral components and contribute to the sustainable design of the glass-and-metal building envelope that protects Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, the newest addition to Florida’s nascent biotechnical research center in Jupiter, FL.
Alcoa’s Reynobond® Aluminum Composite Material (ACM) and Kawneer entrances and curtain wall helped transform an outdated office building in Plainsboro, NJ, from an empty dowager into a state-of-the-art international corporate headquarters. Together, these products played integral roles in the retrofit as components of the sleek, new, energy-efficient skin with a startlingly modern Scandinavian aesthetic.
The $215 million corporate headquarters transformation was designed to meet the requirements for the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental DesignTM (LEED®) Silver certification. The existing concrete façade was replaced with a new enclosure combining glazed curtain wall with spandrel glass detailing at the floor and roof lines and metal wall panels with a zinc-like finish to create a sophisticated, contemporary exterior. Over 275,000 square feet of Reynobond ACM was fabricated for the project. For a cost-effective option that satisfied the desired natural appearance, the architects specified the Design Line Zinc Patina paint finish for the majority of the building façade. Additional Reynobond ACM panels, finished in Anodic Clear and high-gloss Silver paint finishes , were strategically installed to provide additional depth and architectural interest.
A new two-story lobby was created at the main entrance by removing an existing mezzanine and moving the exterior wall out to a point just beyond the existing columns. The front and back walls are defined by floor-to-ceiling glass. A metal-clad portal was added to provide weather protection.1 Kawneer’s 1600 Wall System®2 curtain wall was selected for the lobby to create expanded daylight areas, while the 4-side captured 1600 Wall System®1 curtain wall was used for the stair tower and in the vestibule area. Kawneer 350 Medium Stile Entrances were outfitted with custom hardware options, and installed in the curtain wall to provide durable and aesthetically pleasing entrances for the building.
“Reynobond ACM and Kawneer products are ideal for retrofit projects like this headquarters transformation,” said Diana Perreiah, president of Alcoa Building and Construction Systems, North America. “They meet both the performance and aesthetic criteria set by the architects. The selected Kawneer curtain wall and entrances provide uninterrupted exterior views, optimal thermal performance and security, while the Reynobond ACM provides the desired crisp, flat surface; is extremely durable and lightweight; and was easily mounted to the new unitized modules specified for the installation.”
The retrofit building embodies the functionality, innovation and openness of Danish design with the Nordic tradition of natural light, clear colors and integrity of materials. “We chose to create interest by playing with the geometry of the building—using glass as the primary material on the façade and using metal more compositionally to give the building more character, emphasizing the diversity in the architectural forms that define the exterior of the building,” said Patrick McGranaghan, AIA, LEED AP.
The 770,000-square-foot retrofit building, completed in April 2013, is a quarter-mile long, with a series of office pods intersecting the central circulation spine. In addition to the highly efficient building skin, LEED elements include a new roof that minimizes the heat island effect, low volatile organic compound (VOC) materials and the use of low-flow technology. Amenities include an executive suite; a rooftop terrace; recreational facilities; a 500-seat, full-service cafeteria; parking for 2,210 cars; and access to public transportation.
HOK Architects, of New York, NY, served as the architect-of-record for the project. Structure Tone of Woodbridge, NJ, served as the general contractor. BAMCO, Inc., of Middlesex, NJ, fabricated and installed the Reynobond ACM panels. Paul Rabinowitz Glass Co., Inc., of Philadelphia, PA, fabricated and installed the Kawneer products.
1granumai.com
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About Alcoa Architectural Products
As the leading manufacturer of exterior and interior cladding and corporate identity solutions for commercial construction, Alcoa Architectural Products (AAP) helps architects, designers, specifiers and installers achieve their design visions and groundbreaking ideas through its range of Reynobond® and Reynolux® products. In addition to classic Reynobond ACM, Reynobond Natural Metals and Reynolux panels and flat sheet, this comprehensive array of products includes the revolutionary EcoCleanTM finish, Reynobond Face Fastened Solution and Colorweld® 500 paint finish as well as innovative materials such as the Reynobond Design Line, Anodized Reynobond and Reynobond with KEVLAR®. Alcoa Architectural Products is a part of Alcoa’s global Building and Construction Systems (BCS) business unit. Alcoa BCS manufactures and markets architectural systems and products in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit reynobond.com.
About Kawneer
With more than 100 years of innovation and experience, Kawneer North America is headquartered in Norcross, GA, and is the leading manufacturer of architectural aluminum products and systems for the commercial construction industry. Kawneer is a part of Alcoa’s global Building and Construction Systems (BCS) business unit. In 2010 Traco, a leading manufacturer of windows for more than 65 years, joined Alcoa BCS as a division of Kawneer. Alcoa BCS manufactures and markets architectural systems and products in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information on Kawneer or its products, please visit kawneer.com.
About Alcoa
Alcoa is the world’s leading producer of primary and fabricated aluminum, as well as the world’s largest miner of bauxite and refiner of alumina. In addition to inventing the modern-day aluminum industry, Alcoa innovation has been behind major milestones in the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation, consumer electronics and industrial markets over the past 125 years. Among the solutions Alcoa markets are flat-rolled products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, as well as Alcoa® wheels, fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building systems in addition to its expertise in other light meta ls such as titanium and nickel-based super alloys. Sustainability is an integral part of Alcoa’s operating practices and the product design and engineering it provides to customers. Alcoa has been a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 11 consecutive years and approximately 75 percent of all of the aluminum ever produced since 1888 is still in active use today. Alcoa employs approximately 61,000 people in 30 countries across the world. For more information, visit www.alcoa.com, follow @Alcoa on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Alcoa and follow Alcoa on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Alcoa.
Alcoa®, Reynobond®, Reynolux® and Colorweld® are registered trademarks and EcoCleanTM is a trademark of Alcoa, Inc. 1600 Wall System® is a registered trademark of Kawneer Company, Inc. KEVLAR® is a registered trademark and DuPontTM is a trademark of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company and is used under license by Alcoa Architectural Products. LEED® is a registered trademark and Leadership in Energy and Environmental DesignTM is a trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council.
