10 Questions for Mike McGrath

by Paul Deffenbaugh | March 2, 2021 12:00 am

Metal Architecture: What are the biggest design trends you are seeing in building enclosures related to metal building components?

Mike McGrath: We see a little bit of everything. There are unique ways to fold metal, shape it, bend it, weld it, stretch it, perforate it, produce images, etc. There are so many options. We see a lot more interior metal in all different uses such as elevator surrounds, and see metal used as show pieces such as different types of art and a lot of high-end design.

Another thing is the different finishes. Some of the digitally printed, faux finishes—whether it is made to look like stone or wood or terra cotta—offer a lot of uniqueness. Our patina division that does all of our custom metal finishing typically runs at or near capacity with all of the projects that require custom finishing. They’re cranking out production of different finishes on different types of base metals, and we’re pushing into new areas to see what we can do with a piece of metal, what sort of finish we can get on it, and what colors and finishes we can produce.

MA: With the increasing sophistication of design, how do you meet the demand for improved building performance, especially in sustainability requirements?

McGrath: At McGrath, we are very involved in the development of the building enclosure envelope system as a whole. It’s much more than just the metal cladding. The demand for high-performing building envelopes is central to everything we see today.

People are looking for a robust thermal, air and water management system. Obviously, the energy codes are driving some of that, but owners and consultants are demanding more than just what the code requires.

For us, that means a lot more technical development of details and thermal modeling. We want to see what the result is when we make big changes as well as very discrete changes. Sometimes small changes can affect the building envelope performance marginally and sometimes drastically.

MA: Is there a characteristic of metal building components that makes them especially effective in modern building design and construction? Flexibility? Ductility?

McGrath: The ductility and the flexibility of metal certainly lends itself very well to a lot of different design ideas and solutions. There’s just such a wide variety of finishes that are available. From a structural standpoint, we have a lot of different gauges to work with. Some of the equipment we have today in our facility can do remarkable things. We have a 5-axis, a 3-axis, a number of CNC routers, CNC forming machines, and we just recently installed a new fully automated laser. Not a lot of other façade materials can do what metal can.

You can roll it, bend it, break it, form it, stretch it and then post finish it. There’s so much that we can do with a piece of metal that we just can’t do with a lot of other façade materials.

MA: If you had to communicate one message to architects, what would it be?

McGrath: We’re always better as a team when we’re involved early on, when we can truly understand their objectives in terms of the design intent, aesthetic and the building performance criteria. If we understand that upfront, we can be a great asset in terms of helping them see their vision come to reality.

Also, there’s a cost associated with any building. Early involvement helps us make sure the budget is maintained and that the design intent is also achieved. The later we get involved, the more difficult those two things tend to be.

MA: You’ve already talked about design trends, but what do you see are the major drivers for the future of fabrication?

McGrath: There is a hunger for modular building and modular façades. Prefabrication, in general, will be a huge driver in the future of our fabrication.

There’s not a major contractor or subcontractor in our field that isn’t targeting prefabrication to capitalize on the technology, and tools and equipment available today.

MA: Let’s talk technology. Aside from BIM and CAAD, what are the technologies that are driving the fabricating industry in terms of complexity and efficiency?

McGrath: Technology is helping things make customization more affordable. For example, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, Colo., has over 10,000 unique metal shingles. If we had to lay that all out by hand and cut it using a pair of snips and sheers, then fold it all and expect it to just fall into place, it would be very, very difficult. But if we can use our software and model those 10,000 unique shingles, then use some scripting and automation to produce the fabrication files, and send them to our laser, which can run autonomously, and then onto our press breaks, it just simplifies the delivery of the project.

Taking it a bit further, translating all that information from our shop floor out to the field to allow our craft in the field to install each unique panel in a very specific location, and get the seams, lines and the geometry to all flow together without having to remake panels that don’t fit is central to everything we do today.

MA: In the construction industry, attracting and retaining qualified craft people is one of the major hurdles. What do you do to overcome this hurdle?

McGrath: The building trades is not the prescribed path that most individuals out of high school or even out of college go down. We’ve focused on creating and maintaining a culture that is attractive to people, whether they’re in the crafts or administrative personnel. It’s really been about creating a company culture so that, by word-of-mouth, people want to work here.

We’ve heavily invested in our people with training and specialization in different fields, whether it’s on the patina side or running a laser or one of our CNCs or CNC press break, or just down to the welding and some of the forming and fabricating and bending of panels assembly.

Out in the field, we follow a pretty rigorous general journey person and apprenticeship program. It’s always about getting skilled craft to transfer their knowledge from themselves to the next person and the next person and so on. We want to spread the wealth of knowledge around. That, combined with our culture has made us successful retaining top talent as well as growing our team.

MA: Many fabricators would like to have complete control of the installation of the entire building enclosure, but often that’s not possible. What are the key lessons you’ve learned about working with the other trades?

McGrath: If I look back 20 years, the business of metal cladding in façades doesn’t look much like it does today. With advancements in materials, technology and equipment, we see full building envelopes clad with metal that are not just insulated metal panel or something basic. It’s highly architectural and complex.

We’ve expanded the scope of work so it’s not just the cladding. We’re doing the thermal, air and weather barriers as well, and we often do the cold-formed steel framing. In 2001, we started a glass division, so our approach and our path to market and the way we deliver projects today has really changed, but that model of providing an entire building envelope solution remains the same.

Also, because of the growth of the scope of work and being part of the full building envelope, we’re involved very early in the design process—often in schematic design development and all the way through to construction document development. That makes us a key trade that architects and contractors try to onboard early. We also work very closely with the steel erector or the concrete contractor as well as coordinating with other miscellaneous metal trades and roofing.

Often, our work is the biggest scope of work on the project so we’re starting to influence some of the other trades in terms of some of the tolerances, means and methods, and even if we’re going to prefabricate something or unitize it. All those different approaches come with different standards and rules, and all of those standards and rules have an impact on other trades, requiring much tighter coordination throughout the entire build of a project. From the time the hole gets dug and the slab on grade gets poured, we’re central to all of that coordination today.

MA: MG McGrath works on a lot of high-profile projects. Is there a type of project that your team just loves to sink its teeth into?

McGrath: We like them all, of course. Any project we can be a part of and help make successful at the end of the day motivates us. But anything that is innovative and unique and—quite honestly—very challenging, seems to really motivate our team. Everyone from me to our craft in the field gets excited about those sorts of projects and the pace of play that goes along with them.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum is one that’s hard not to get a little bit emotional and excited about contributing and putting your mark on.

MA: Building enclosure fabrication and installation require regular and specific communication as well as leadership. How have you structured your company to meet the varied communications demands between your team and the rest of the project participants?

McGrath: The teams are fairly large on these projects, not only in the shop but in the field and also from an administrative staffing standpoint. We might have eight to 10 people who are managing the development of the shop drawings, engineering the design, and handling the submittals and procurement, and overseeing the fabrication of those components.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to communication. Internally and externally. Forcing discipline and accountability on the deliverables and schedule are imperative for us to ensure a successful project. We collaborate constantly across all of the different roles, and that’s the only way this is scalable so we can attack these larger projects, but also ensure that we get everything done correctly and at the right time.

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/articles/10-questions-for-mike-mcgrath/

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