Bob Borson, in a post on his Life of an Architect blog, notes that one of the top 10 reasons to be an architect is the ability to express artistic freedom and personal expression.
One of the qualities of MCM panel systems is a powerful tool towards that end. MCM panel systems weigh very little compared to most other wall materials and have a very high strength-to-weight ratio. This quality allows great freedom to architects to produce elegant cantilevered forms and produce feature elements that appear delicate.
MCM panel systems generally weigh less than 2-pounds-per-square-foot.
Compare that to other wall materials:
- Masonry wall (4-inch brick and 12-inch concrete block):
122 lbs/SF
- Dimensional stone (granite): 30 lbs/SF
- Glass curtainwall (1-inch double pane insulating glass):
10 lbs/SF
- Terra cotta panels (34-mm thickness): 10 lbs/SF
- High-density phenolic resin panels (1/2-inch):5 lbs/SF
Imagine the size and weight of the support structure required to support the varying weights of these wall materials in a straight vertical wall. Now, think about the exponentially increasing challenges of designs that require either cantilever shapes or free spanning shapes.
The Florida Community College at Jacksonville utilizes a large cantilevered canopy with the use of MCM panels.
Applications like canopies and porte cocheres become doable with the weight of MCM panels (2 lbs/ SF) that would be extremely difficult with a material like dimensional stone (30 lbs/SF).
Large free spanning shapes that add an architect’s artistic freedom and personal expression to a project become more interesting with the light weight of MCM panels. The wing-shaped forms on the Quad Cities Airport span approximately 30 feet.
That would be difficult to accomplish with many other materials.
The Mellon Bank in Pittsburgh features both cantilevers and free-spanning elements at the peak of the multistory office building featuring MCM panels.
As we add examples of the benefits that MCM panels add to an architect’s design; it is easy to see why it has become one of the “go to” products for modern building design.
As we explore these benefits, please feel free to drop me an email at ted.miller@millerclapperton.com to remind me of others.
Ted S. Miller is the CEO of The Miller Clapperton Partnership Inc., Austell, Ga. For more information, visit www.millerclapperton.com.