Metal Screen Softens Images

Chicago-based Team A designed two projects for the By The Hand Club For Kids after-school program with inspirational images of children, a perforated, corrugated metal screen and bright accent colors. The firm developed the concept for the nonprofit’s first facility built solely for its use and incorporated it into the organization’s second new building, which it co-occupies with Moving Everest Charter School. The two projects are located across the street from each other in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood.

Joe Buehler, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, of Team A, says the interplay of colors and light between the image panels and perforated panels on the south façade was critical, and his firm completed a number of studies before arriving at the optimum combination. “During the design analysis, several mock-ups were assembled that studied both color and openness of the metal along with the space required between the perforated screen and aluminum composite image panels behind,” he says. “Much like a window shade, dark colors allowed the eye to see through the material while lighter colors obscured visibility. A 40 percent openness factor, in our opinion, provided the right balance between transparency and textural quality of the corrugation.”

Buehler says since natural daylight was the sole source of illumination, his firm found that 3 to 4 inches of space was optimum. “Too close complicated the image, while greater depth caused too much shadow. The quality and duration of light, with a south facing façade, greatly enhanced the overall success of the project,” he says.

The east façade was designed with non-perforated panels in the same profile and color as the perforated panels. “With trim details, color, supplier and installer remaining consistent, significant efficiencies were realized in the procurement and installation phase, which alleviated an amount of stress in the tight seven-month construction schedule,” Buehler says.

Buehler says kids as heroes was a theme for the design. “There’s a real emotional connection if you use real children rather than symbols,” he says. “They wanted to do real kids because real kids have real stories, and I think that’s actually more encouraging to other kids who are going to the club.”

Wauconda, Ill.-based WBR Roofing Co. Inc. installed Davidson, N.C.-based 3A Composites USA Inc.’s Dibond metal composite material (MCM) panels with the images of children printed with ultravio- let (UV)-stable ink for the $10 million project. Additionally, WBR Roofing installed approximately 11,000 square feet of Elk Grove Village, Ill.-based Petersen Aluminum Corp.’s 24-gauge, 7/8-inch corrugated panels in Charcoal and approximately 5,200 square feet of its 0.05-gauge, 7/8-inch corrugated perforated panel in Charcoal on the charter school. Moving Everest Charter School’s accent color is lime green and By The Hand Club For Kids’ accent color is bright orange, which Team A integrated into the design so the branding hierarchy is led by the charter school followed by the after-school program.

“[Petersen Aluminum’s] PAC-CLAD 7/8-inch perforated corrugated metal proved to be the most versatile and cost-effective solution for integrating our client’s imagery into the building façade, while also encouraging a seamless transition with its solid, corrugated counterpart,” Buehler says. “[The south façade] has become an unmistakable feature within the community and to the thousands of commuters that pass by each day on nearby public transit lines.”