The largest of Michigan’s 28 community colleges, Oakland Community College received a major addition at the Southfield Campus to provide much-needed classroom and administrative space. The 70,000-square-foot building was clad with approximately 28,000 square feet of Lewisville, Texasbased Metl-Span’s CF30 Architectural Flat panels in a design that showcases an interesting and attractive combination of colors and geometries. The 2-inch panels were finished in Regal White and Cool Metallic Silver and installed horizontally.
Design for the project was provided by TMP Architecture, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. “The addition was to an existing building clad with metal and glass,” according to Tom Kowalski, project manager. “Naturally, we wanted to maintain a similar palette of materials. The Metl-Span panels really offer a contemporary, high-tech look. We also felt the Metl-Span panels provided an economical solution because of the insulation on the exterior skin. The college is very pleased with the outcome.”
Installation of the Metl-Span panels was done by Ross & Barr Inc., Warren, Mich. The panels ranged in length from 8 to 20 feet and required some challenging custom fabrication, according to Tom Viers, project manager. “The 45-degree angle custom corner panels were probably the sharpest we’ve ever done with an insulated panel,” Viers says. “The horizontal installation and complicated geometries of the design required extremely detailed field measurements to assure the panels would align properly with the vertical elements.” The general contractor on the project was George W. Auch Co., Pontiac, Mich.
