Weathering Steel Panels Grace Hotel

by Christopher Brinckerhoff | August 14, 2024 6:00 am

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For a curved exterior on Hotel Eleo at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla., Alfonso Architects Inc. specified weathering steel panels. The steel panels met project goals for aesthetics, complementing existing architecture, maintenance, and cost.

Cuyler Hendricks, AIA, architect at Alfonso Architects, says, “We chose the steel because of the warmth and tonality. We also selected it because it is a self-healing material, and once it reaches its full patina, it is maintenance free. Aluminum panels need to be properly cleaned and repainted throughout their lifespan, whereas steel does not need this maintenance. Copper would have been another great choice, but we went with steel because of its cost.”

N-RG Cladding LLC vertically installed 2,973 m² (32,000 sf) of Dri-Design’s 16-gauge weathering steel wall panels. Panels are 305 mm (12 in.) wide by 3 m (10 ft) tall.

Installing panels on curved walls, and transitioning to a curtainwall presented challenges. Additionally, to meet Florida building code requirements for hurricane-force winds, N-RG Cladding secured panels with additional clips to tie the system together and increase its load capacity.

Yuri Melnicheko, chief operating officer at N-RG Cladding, says, “The curve of the building has a snake profile. The panels start on one side and do not wrap around the building; they reveal to the curtainwall. We also had to keep the elevation constant on the curve wall during installation.”

With respect to other buildings on campus, many of masonry, Hendricks says, “We love hotels, especially boutique hotels, and the ability to come in and be very diverse with materials. It was a great opportunity to be able to present some alternate ideas, from a material standpoint, that show you can do some really interesting contextual buildings, but not have to conform to such a strict gothic brick vernacular.”

Hotel Eleo is a six-story, 11,148 m² (120,000 sf) building with 173 rooms, a bar and lounge area, and fitness room. The building and site wrap around Rush Lake and include a waterfront park and walking paths.

To maximize daylighting and moderate heat gain, Alfonso Architects designed the building, which curves similar to a flattened S-shape, with an expansive curtainwall on the north side, and punched windows on south side.

“People don’t really think about it, but the building also responds very much to sun patterns and is conscious of energy usage,” Hendricks says. “In Florida, you can open up to the north but have to protect the south. By limiting the glass on the south through the usage of punched openings versus a completely glass north façade, I think that was an important idea.”

Design architect: Alfonso Architects Inc., Tampa, Fla., alfonsoarchitects.com[2]
Architect of record: Walker Architects Inc., Gainesville, Fla., walker-arch.com[3]
General contractor: Barr and Barr Inc., New York City, barrandbarr.com[4]
Installer: N-RG Cladding LLC, Apopka, Fla., www.n-rgcladding.com[5]
Metal wall panels: Dri-Design, Holland, Mich., www.dri-design.com[6]

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/projects/hospitality/weathering-steel-panels/

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