To create a modern exterior on David L. Conlan Center at Atrium Health’s Carolina Rehabilitation Hospital in Charlotte, N.C., NBBJ designed facades with silver metal panels rippling down from the top of the five-story building to the ground level.
Zeke Miller, president at MillerClapperton, says, “Metal is the primary feature of this project’s facade with undulating waves of multifaceted panels that wrap around the entirety of the building and connect to create arrows and unique angles for a truly modern design aesthetic.”
MillerClapperton fabricated and installed 4,831 m2 (52,000 sf) of 3A Composites USA Inc.’s ALUCOBOND PLUS metal composite material (MCM) panels in West Pewter Mica II. About 1,500 panels were used for the project, which included the entry canopy and column covers.
“The modern design utilized metal composite material panels that were fabricated in various wave patterns, which were tapered and joined together to create an arrow shape,” Miller says. “Extra time was spent during the design stage to ensure lines were maintained where two-facet and three-facet panels were connected to flat wall panel areas to achieve the desired aesthetic. Each three-facet panel had seven unique gussets to maintain the tapered effect, and the two-facet panels used custom extrusions cut to size to maintain the angle and help the panel hold its shape during installation.”
To conceal a mechanical equipment room on the rooftop, MillerClapperton installed 372 m2 (4,000 sf) of Fabral Inc.’s Hefti-Rib exposed fastener corrugated metal wall panels in Silversmith. 
Throughout the project, metal panels were installed over Advanced Architectural Products LLC’s thermally broken, insulated composite GreenGirts sub-framing.
Miller says, “The framed wall sections were hoisted into place prior to the panels being installed. Thorough coordination allowed MillerClapperton to forgo field measurements of the as built condition and build directly off the approved shop drawing. This reduced the overall duration of the project by cutting out up to six weeks for each defined area. More than 99 percent of the panels fit with no issues.”
David L. Conlan Center anchors Atrium Health’s Carolina Medical Center Campus. The 14,140 m2 (152,204 sf) healthcare facility replaces a building constructed in the 1970s. It houses 70 patient rooms, an outpatient clinic, an independent living center, an aquatic therapy space, and an outdoor therapy garden.