Fuel Time
by Jonathan McGaha | April 30, 2009 12:00 am
From aircrafts to armored vehicles, marine boats to motorsports, Aircraft Rubber Manufacturing Inc. in Redmond, Ore., designs and manufactures fuel tanks and liquid containment bladders. In August 2008, the company moved into a new 91,811-square-foot (8,529-m2) headquarters that includes corporate offices and a production facility.
According to architect Scott Steele, president of Steele Associates Architects, Bend, Ore., the Aircraft Rubber Manufacturing headquarters was one of the first major projects to be built in the Redmond’s Desert Rise development.
“Our team and client wanted to set the bar for what a quality industrial facility could look like,” Steele said. “We wanted to demonstrate that metal buildings could be attractive and exciting. The metal building wall and roof panel systems allowed us to articulate the building envelope to create a striking corner entrance, as well as a strong rhythm of recessed bays articulated with exposed tension rods.”
Construction on the new facility began in March 2007. The 200- by 640- by 21-foot (61- by 195- by 6-m) building utilizes a metal building, roof and wall panels from Behlen Building Systems, Columbus, Neb. Metal wall panels from MBCI, Houston, were also used on the building’s exterior. Behlen supplied the ZL-24 standing-seam roof system in Ash Gray for the roof and ADP-1 metal wall panels in Sahara Tan. MBCI supplied 6,300 square feet (585 m2) of flat FW-120 metal wall panels in Rustique.
Unique design characteristics incorporated into the building’s décor include checkered flags and other motorsport designs. Additionally, a full-size replica of two-time Sprint Series Champion Tony Stewart’s No. 20 racecar hangs in the building’s entrance.
“The two-story lobby offers incredible views of the Three Sisters volcanic peaks and Smith Rock, a world-class climbing area,” Steele said. “It was also designed with a high level of sustainable features, including excellent daylighting to the main warehouse and production areas.” In addition to the daylighting, Steele said other sustainable design strategies include energy efficient heating and ventilation in the office areas that also provides freeze protection in the manufacturing area, as well as water-efficient plumbing fixtures in the break rooms and restrooms.
Aircraft Rubber Manufacturing Inc., Redmond, Ore.
Award: 2008 Behlen Building of the Year
Architect: Steele Associates Architects LLC, Bend, Ore.
General contractor: SunWest Builders, Redmond
Builder: Kortay Northwest Inc., Bend
Steel erector: Dave Tacy Construction, Bend
Metal building, roof and walls: Behlen Building Systems, Columbus, Neb.
Metal wall panels: MBCI, Houston
Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/projects/fuel-time/