2022 Metal Construction Association Design Awards

The criteria for selecting the winning projects were

• overall appearance
• significance of metal in the project
• innovative use of metal

The winning projects were selected by a panel of judges that included Travis Wendt, owner, Metallic Products, Houston; Rick Harlan Schneider, FAIA, APA, LEED AP, principal, ISTUDIO Architects, Washington, D.C.; Paul Mankins FAIA, LEED AP, founding partner of substance architecture, Des Moines, Iowa; and Erik Mehlman, AIA, partner, BuildSense, Durham, N.C.

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ORNAMENTAL, FIRST PLACE

Louis Vuitton Retail Store, Miami Design District, Miami

This building is the first freestanding Louis Vuitton men's store in the United States and the second in the world. The project called for a diamond-patterned façade that pays homage to the luxury brand’s classic monogram motif using white-plate paneling customized with a perforated design that reinterprets the iconic LV monogram in the brand’s leather products.

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ORNAMENTAL, SECOND PLACE

Louisville Free Public Library Northeast Regional Branch, Louisville, Ky.

The eco-friendly, LEED Gold-certified project utilizes green building construction methods and metal materials to achieve the goals of energy saving, quality of life and reduced operating costs. The double standing seam zinc panels form the façade's arch on the exterior. Inside, overlapping metal curtains frame openings to reveal the activity within the library's contemporary interior.

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INSULATED METAL PANELS

Rose Hill Building, New York City

This 45-story residential building in Manhattan's NoMad neighborhood features an expressive glass-and-metallic bronze façade, accented with chevron patterns, intricate detailing and expansive windows, referencing a modern update to a classically gothic aesthetic. Large, 16-foot insulated metal panels (IMPs) work in harmony with the building’s unique design.

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METAL COMPOSITE MATERIAL

MCPL Colbern Road Library Center, Lee's Summit, Mo.

This library's design uses architectural metals to create a stunning exterior, unlike the typical library. The architect envisioned a paper airplane inspired by the idea of transferring knowledge and passing notes as children. Only metal could achieve the look of folded paper for the building wall.

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SINGLE SKIN PANELS, FIRST PLACE

Park Union Pedestrian Bridge, Colorado Springs, Colo.

This new pedestrian, bike and wheelchair-friendly bridge takes its inspiration from the gravity-defying motion of athletes, with a 250-foot curved steel structure that floats above an active railyard. The prefabricated single-skin panels allowed the bridge to be completed affordably and at a substantially faster build time.

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SINGLE SKIN PANELS, SECOND PLACE

100 Above the Park, St. Louis

The 380-foot-tall residential tower includes a glass-and-metal façade that tilts outward with each floor cascading to resemble a maple leaf, a design element inspired by the building's proximity to Forest Park. Metal was chosen for its ability to long maintain its reflective, yet diffusive quality to reflect the changing light and seasonal beauty of the landscape.

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RESIDENTIAL ROOF

Private Retreat, Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada

This private retreat on the forested shores of Lake Huron in Ontario includes five cabins each with a metal envelope. The zinc panels provide a weather-resistant, self-healing, corrosion-resistant material with a potential life span of 100 years. At the end of its useful life on the buildings, the metal remains 100% recyclable.

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COMMERCIAL ROOF

Lone Oaks Farm Hunter Education Station, Middleton, Tenn.

Black corrugated metal was chosen for these two educational buildings for its simple elegance and the beauty of the contrast with the wood interior. Durability and longevity were also key pragmatic drivers. The selected ribbed metal panels provide a protective, cost-effective skin to the buildings.

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RETROFIT, FIRST PLACE

EJ Basler, Shiller Park, Ill.

This old masonry building had fallen into disrepair. Since the steel structure was in good shape, the solution to redo the metal building system, was both practical and an opportunity to evolve the existing style, rather than try to conceal it. New insulated metal panels provided an air and water barrier and fresh new look.

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RETROFIT, SECOND PLACE

Saint Xavier High School Sangalli Center, Louisville, Ky.

The city's most historic Catholic high school sought to add classroom space and renovate their 40-year-old, standalone media center. The exterior of the media center is the campus' new community focal point. The ability to mix color, texture, sheen and structural capacity made metal a perfect material to embrace throughout this project.