Abstract nautical theme ties building to riverside location
by Jonathan McGaha | January 31, 2010 12:00 am
A dramatic growth in the school’s student population necessitated a campus expansion at Goodwin College in East Hartford, Conn. Without the benefit of a large endowment or alumni base, the young college saw opportunity to expand to a nearby neglected brownfield site. After extensive remediation, the 30-acre (12-hectare) site overlooking the Connecticut River became home to a new 110,000-square-foot (10,219-m2) academic and administration building. Serving 2,000 students, the facility includes classrooms, laboratories, a media center, 700-seat auditorium and community rooms.
The six-story portion of the building utilized approximately 12,000 square feet (1,115 m2) of Lewisville, Texas-based Metl-Span’s CF-32 Architectural Flat insulated panels installed horizontally. The panels, which reached up to 25 feet (8 m) in length, were finished in four complementary colors-Arabian Blue, Chromium Gray, Dove Gray and Light Gray. In order to meet the 96 mph wind criteria required by local building codes, the panels were fastened to 16-gauge studs using provided brackets and two screws per stud.
“We sought an iconic structure that would set the tone for the remaining development of the campus,” said Patrick Mancuso, partner at Capital Studio Architects, East Hartford. “We also pursued an abstract, somewhat nautical theme that would play to the dramatic riverside location and also tie to several curriculum which are ecology and marine-based.”
According to Mancuso, the Metl-Span panels soften the mass of the tower. “Another reason for using the insulated metal panel system was the reduced weight it imposed on the structure and foundation,” Mancuso said. “The water table and soil quality of the remediated site required the use of piles and grade beams so a lightweight metal stud cladding system provided a good solution.”
FIP Construction Inc., Cheshire, Conn., was the construction manager, and Advanced Performance Glass Inc., South Windsor, Conn., was the installer.
Metl-Span, www.metl-span.com
Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/projects/abstract-nautical-theme-ties-building-to-riverside-location/