Leveraging metal for all it has to offer in aesthetics, physical properties
Family-owned poultry processor Bell & Evans recently engaged my firm, Jacksonville, Fla.-based Stellar, for the design-build of its new advanced chicken packaging, further processing, par-fry and storage facility. Our team found this project to be unlike any other in our portfolios. Why? We were tasked to design and build a structure that would not only function as a state-of-the-art food processing facility, but also a high-quality office space with an ambiance that would provide happiness to employees coming to work day in and day out. The unique aspect to this project is that the requests facilitating such goals never wavered despite their economic impact.
When embarking on the new Fredericksburg, Pa., facility, Bell & Evans owner Scott Sechler set the bar just as high for both the design and construction of his facility. He demanded a building that conveyed the brand’s commitment to quality, but also the company’s commitment to advancement, technology and innovation.
When speaking with Sechler, one of many things that resonated with my team was how much he understood the impact his facilities-like his company-have on the community. We cleared a greenfield, so this project needed to add to the fabric of the local landscape. While it employs a modern aesthetic, the design also pays homage to the history of the small rural town. The architecture nods to the traditional farmhouse-plentiful in Fredericksburg.
With food and beverage facilities, decisions are typically driven by economy and food safety. This type of project seldom lends itself to design that’s focused on social responsibility and the psychological needs of its inhabitants, both human and animal. However, this facility would prove to be a true intersection of the two, showcasing an architecture that conveyed the company’s commitment to quality, in addition to advancement, technology and innovation.
Our firm has experience building across different sectors, including food, commercial and military. Simultaneously building for different industries proved to be key to delivering this project.
We found the bulk of the design solutions for this project to lie within-what else-metal. We leveraged metal throughout the design of the 160,000-square-foot facility, including:
- Insulated metal panels
- Metal EMS doors (shipped from Germany)
- Tubular structural metal columns
- Metal-cladded exterior canopy
Metal Innovation
Bell & Evans’ budget for socially responsible design was $500,000 over the cost of merely creating a functional building. This meant that we were encouraged to spend up to half a million dollars on design that enhanced the inhabitants’ psychological well-being. While positively impacting those working within the building, Bell & Evans also wanted town locals to be proud such a plant was a part of their Fredericksburg community.
Metal proved to be the most effective way for us to maximize the design budget. Our team found that by repurposing the metal materials that were already at our disposal, we achieved the owner’s goals for the facility while also being responsible stewards of the budget.
For example, originally, the construction plan called for a wing wall constructed of architectural panels. However the cost delta between insulated metal panels and architectural panels was unjustifiable. This encouraged our team to get creative with the material already in tow. Working with our partners at Metl-Span, Louisville, Texas, our team used the insulated metal panels in a whole new way, creating new connection details.
The immaculate wing wall on the front of the facility is an aesthetic addition that breaks up the courtyard and employee cafeteria. It is thoughtful design elements such as these-intentional walkways to get employees from one break area to another-that reflect how the metal designs of this project were used to reflect the desired feel.
A large metal canopy is also featured at the front of the facility, hanging above an employee courtyard area. By incorporating elements that are painted barn house red and designed to resemble wood, this throwback element nods to the time of family farmers. The metal architecture was used intentionally to straddle the nostalgia of the past with the innovation of the modern plant.
Yellow metal columns were used to support the wide canopy that runs the length of the building’s entrance, contributing to a clean and fresh look.
It was the use of metal architecture that ultimately gave a very specific voice to the end product-modernity designed to last.
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Joana Berling is an architectural designer for Jacksonville, Fla.-based Stellar. To learn more, visit www.stellar.net.