The Book Worm: Manuel Oncina Architects matches metal roofing with libraries

by Jonathan McGaha | March 6, 2011 12:00 am

At San Diego-based Manuel Oncina Architects, metal roofing is a major part of the firm’s designs. In business since 1984, the firm found a niche in public buildings in the early 1990s, with a focus on libraries. The early library work featured distinct metal roofs and it has been an unofficial signature ever since.

“We really think that for low-rise public buildings, the material of choice is a standing-seam metal roof,” said Manuel Oncina, FARA.

The firm recently completed two California libraries, each featuring approximately 20,000 square feet of standing-seam metal roofing. Manuel Oncina Architects was the design architect on the projects (the architect of record was Ferguson Pape Baldwin, San Diego). The Fallbrook Library, which opened in January, features metal roofing from Louisville, Ky.-based Metal Sales Manufacturing Corp. in Antique Patina and Metallic Silver. The Ramona Library, which opened in February, also features Metal Sales’ Antique Patina.

“We came up with the concept for the client and won the project in a competition; designed the entire building from the interiors on out,” Oncina said. “The executive architect produced all the construction documents to get the project built. We remained in constant involvement through the opening day. We were involved in every question about the building.”

 

History with Metal

Oncina said when he was in school in the early 1970s, metal was used, but very rarely on the West Coast.

“I think that what drove me to using that material was the longevity that you could get out of it,” he said. “Since I was dedicated to doing public buildings, one of the main aspects of it was how long they would last. [Metal] was also very flexible. You could use it for a lot of different shapes, which you can’t do with a lot of different materials.

“From an aesthetic point of view, it will hands down beat a built-up roof. Metal roofing also expresses a lot of modernity, despite having been in use for centuries. With metal, it puts you in a mode where you’re doing more modern architecture on a bigger scale.”

As Manuel Oncina Architects has made metal a regular part of its work, clients have come to expect it.

“Usually if it’s going to be a sloped roof, it’s almost expected. There’s not a whole lot of convincing,” Oncina said. “The design of the roof is so integral to the design of the building itself, it becomes the realm of the designer. Clients shy away from flat roofs because of maintenance and leak concerns.”

A common question about metal roofs, though, is whether the higher initial cost is worth the investment. Oncina said his clients have been really good at understanding that initial cost is justified through the low maintenance and long life the product can provide.

Design Approach

“My designs are more about the site, the community it’s in and the program,” said Oncina, who does not adhere to any particular aesthetic style. “The site will tell you what the building can look like and [you have to consider] how the community will react to the building. Most of my buildings are different. There’s no particular style. It’s more of an organic style that comes out of the community that [the projects] are in.”

The Fallbrook and Ramona libraries are prime examples. They are vastly different designs because they’re responding to their sites. At Fallbrook, a saddle-shape roof covered in metal standing seam is visible from a lot of different places and it defines Fallbrook, mimicking the shape of the hills.

At Ramona, a half-barrel roof gives a modern shape and on the inside it’s all white, so you get a cool feeling. It’s very airy and you can see the exterior from the inside of the library.

In other instances, Oncina has shaped his buildings to match ocean critters or flowers, or to accentuate the view of the ocean.

“Metal gives the versatility for different looks, shapes and colors,” he said.

Other Specialties

The firm is currently doing a lot of work with water treatment and transportation projects, such as bus and train stations. The Perris Multimodal Facility is a transportation hub for buses and trains, and it features a Metal Sales Vertical Seam roof in Antique Patina.

Other projects where the firm utilized metal roofs include the Miramar Water Treatment Plant featuring Fontana, Calif.-based AEP-Span Colonial Red panels; the Sweetwater Park Activity Building and Restroom Facility featuring AEP-Span Sierra Tan panels; and the Town & Country Lodge Laundry featuring AEP-Span Cool Metallic Silver panels.

“I love using metal as a siding material,” Oncina added. “Metal siding can be used on the exterior and interior. We’re always excited about using metal.”

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IMAGES FROM TOP: The Fallbrook Library in California features a metal roof from Metal Sales Manufacturing Corp., installed by American Sheet Metal. Photo by Jim Helms.

Manuel Oncina Architects prefers standing-seam metal roofing on its low-rise buildings. Photo by Jim Helms.

The Fallbrook Library’s saddle-shape roof mimics the nearby hills. Photo by Jim Helms.

The half-barrel metal roof from Metal Sales Manufacturing Corp., installed by American Sheet Metal, on the Ramona Library in California provides a modern shape. Photo by Manuel Oncina.

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/articles/manuel-oncina-architects/

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