A Colorful Façade

by Jonathan McGaha | January 2, 2017 12:00 am

Creative use of metal shingles highlight new community center

When the board members of the Niagara Community Center[1] in Niagara Falls, N.Y., were looking for a striking exterior for their new facility, they turned to Fiddler Roofing Inc.[2], Niagara Falls, for assistance.

This new $3 million, 21,600-square-foot building is located on the grounds of Niagara Catholic Junior-Senior High School. The principal activity of the Niagara Community Center is to promote the social welfare of the Niagara Falls community through a sports and education facility. The indoor and outdoor spaces were designed to accommodate tennis, cheerleading, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball and other sports. It is known that facilities in which children learn provide experiences that will have an influence on their future. This contemporary structure is a place where children will enjoy playing and learning.

To create the sports themed eye-catching façade, John Petrozzi, president of Fiddler Roofing, chose CastleTop metal shingles, manufactured by ATAS International Inc.[3], Allentown, Pa. A total of 3,445 square feet of the diamond-shaped shingles in Regal Blue, Bone White, Black, Brilliant Yellow and Brilliant Orange were used to create images of a basketball, tennis ball and soccer ball against a blue background on the front of this new building.

The shingles, with coverage of 13 1/2 inches by 13 1/2 inches, allow for design creativity using over 30 available stock colors in PVDF paint finish to mix and match. They are also available in natural metals of copper and zinc. In addition to exterior and interior walls, CastleTop shingles can be installed on roofs. Symbols, shapes, patterns, accent borders and more can be integrated into a wall or roof using this versatile shingle.

“Originally, plain exposed fastener metal wall cladding was going to be used on the exterior of this building,” Petrozzi says. “However, we had a blank canvas to work with and wanted to do something special. Weatherpanel[4] [Inc., Buffalo, N.Y.] and the CastleTop shingles by ATAS helped us to do just that.”

The CastleTop shingles were purchased through Weatherpanel, and the general contractor on the project was Swogier Construction, Sanborn, N.Y. “Fiddler Roofing had used the CastleTop shingles in the past, specifically for roofs over entrances on old stone buildings,” stated Petrozzi. “It’s a great product for that application and visually makes a statement.”

Gary Hall is president of the board of trustees for the Niagara Community Center’s not-for-profit organization. “We are quite pleased with the results of our new building and Petrozzi’s design with the metal shingles on the exterior,” says Hall. “[Petrozzi] also gave a large discount off the installation costs, which was greatly appreciated. Michael Mistriner, AIA, of CannonDesign[5], Grand Island, N.Y., was the architect on the project, and is on the board of directors at the community center. They also donated design services for the project, which includes a geothermal heating and cooling system and LED lighting, which helped to create an energy-efficient building.

“The center is currently serving over 500 children in the community every week. This includes a latchkey program for working parents of elementary school aged children, as well as athletic programs and physical education classes for the kids from the Niagara Catholic Junior-Senior High School. During the weekends, the space can be rented out for community tennis programs and by traveling soccer teams. The additional funds being raised will be used for further expansion of the facility’s services, which may include an elevated running track and a music studio.”

Nick Bolea, director of operations for the community center, says, “Everyone has loved the look of our new building’s exterior. It looks a lot better than just a typical warehouse/athletic type facility. I think the design and appearance is great.”

The Niagara Community Center is a collaboration between the Niagara Falls Boys & Girls Club, Niagara Catholic Junior-Senior High School, Niagara University, the local Police Athletic League and Niagara Pioneer Soccer. Niagara University will provide mentors through its sports education and management programs. The center provides a safe place for kids and teens to come to after school.

Programs and services offered by the Niagara Community Center will promote and enhance the development of children by instilling in them a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence. This new center, with the unique façade, will be a positive influence on area youth through athletic programs, arts and education for many years to come.

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Lee Ann M. Slattery, CSI, CCPR, LEED AP BD+C, is the sales support manager for ATAS International Inc., Allentown, Pa. Specializing in the architectural building materials industry for the past 24 years, she has worked with architects, specifiers, engineers, contractors, facility managers, property owners and distributors. Slattery also assists in the development and maintenance of ATAS’ continuing education programs. She can be reached at lslattery@atas.com. For more information, visit www.atas.com[6].

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/articles/a-colorful-facade-5/

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