Top Five: Exterior Skins

posted by Matthew Bushey, AIA

Summer is starting to wind down, and we’re enjoying these last few days of late August.  So too are we nearing the end of our 10-part series of Top Five lists of our favorite products and places.

To prove that I care about more than just what’s on the inside, this week I review my top five exterior cladding materials.  Some of these products can be found on our own buildings designed by TruexCullins, but I didn’t work on any of these projects personally, so I feel I’m still able to provide somewhat of an unbiased opinion.

1.   Parklex Facade

You may have seen this new façade go up on the Maltex Building on Pine Street.  This TruexCullins project included the interior and exterior renovation of a 1960s office building. The lower half of the front of the building is clad with Parklex exterior panels.

What looks like a simple wood panel is actually a highly engineered product designed to withstand the forces of nature, suitable for even our harsh Vermont winters.  Technically speaking, it is a high-density stratified timber panel manufactured from kraft paper treated with resins.  The panel is factory-finished with a wood veneer that is resistant to UV radiation.  The product comes in 4x8 sheets in 8 colors.  The “gold” color was used at the Maltex building.

Parklex is a Spanish company.  We also looked at one of their competitors who makes a similar product, Prodema, which is also from Spain.

2.  EcoClad Exterior by Klip Biotechnologies

The EcoClad Exterior panel is one of the newest products from Joel Klippert, the inventor of that popular green countertop material, PaperStone. 

EcoClad is a bio-composite panel that comes in standard 4 x 8 sheets.  It is available in 10 wood grains and 8 matte colors, all as stock products, and custom color matching is available.  Like Paperstone, this product is made primarily from FSC-certified post-consumer recycled paper with a water-based co-polymer resin binder.  The difference here is that bamboo strands are added to the mix, a rapidly-renewable resource that adds strength, durability, and scratch resistance.

So far, there are very few installations of EcoClad, probably due at least in part to its high price.  But I hope it catches on, as it is a beautiful, sustainable cladding material with a truly modern look.

3.  Highway Signboard Backing

This new house, recently completed on Chase Street in Burlington, is unlike any of its neighbors.  Designed by architect Christian Brown, the home features some creative exterior skins.

What I find most unique about it, at least on the exterior, is the use of highway signboard backing as an exterior cladding material.  This is a novel use of a relatively inexpensive material.  Exterior wood panels (like Parklex) or composite panels (like EcoClad) are normally pretty expensive, but I imagine this is a much cheaper solution.  It might help to have a friend who works at the state highway department.  This material is what they use to make highway road signs, so you know it’s rigid, water resistant, and can withstand a fair amount of force.

If you’d like to take a closer look, this project is one of the houses that is on the upcoming AIA Vermont Home Tour, September 11^th from 10 to 3pm.  The theme for this year’s tour is “The Tradition of Innovation”.  For more info, click over to http://www.aiavt.org/, or jump directly to this PDF of the event postcard that describes all six homes that are on the tour.

4.  Insulated Metal Panels by Metecno

The Heritage Aviation facility at the Burlington airport was recently expanded to include this renovated aircraft hangar and Fixed Based Operation for the private charter airline.  The 1955-era Army National Guard hangar was stripped to the underlying steel and concrete shell and then outfitted with a new high-performance exterior envelope.  One of the key components in this new envelope is the skin of insulated metal panels.  The product used here was Metecno, but we would also recommend another brand, Kingspan.

The core material is a laminated polyiso insulation.  The gurus at Building Science Corp have touted polyiso as one of the best choices in rigid insulation, so we know that the laminated panel is a great way to provide wall insulation and finish material in one easy step.  The panels lock together to form a continuous skin around the entire building.

What I like about the composition of the Heritage Building is the random mix of colors and the proportion of the individual pieces.  This façade proves that insulated metal panels need not be reserved for suburban warehouses or undecorated sheds.

5.  Corrugated Metal Panels by Centria

For the last entry, I’m going back to the Maltex building.  This time, I’m looking at the corrugated metal skin along the top of the façade.  These metal panels are from the Concept Series by Centria.  They are a ribbed panel with interlocking joints and concealed fasteners.

What’s most striking about this installation is how the signage is built right into the skin.  The lettering and the graphic logo were cut directly out of the metal using a high-precision waterjet.  The profile of the corrugated metal gives the graphics a deeper relief and increased dimension.

What used to be a nondescript painted concrete block box has been made into something of a modern landmark. The ribbed metal marries nicely with the Parklex wood skin, and together, this new palette of materials complements the beauty of the original 1899 brick structure.  What I like best about this façade – and many of the other projects in this list of five – is the unconventional use of the materials that are all too often used in mundane ways. 

What do you think of these five building skins?  Leave a comment below.  And come back next week for my final post.

Top Five: Las Vegas Interiors

posted by Matthew Bushey, AIA

I have a love/hate relationship with Las Vegas.  I’m drawn to the bright lights and architectural wonderland, but after a few days, the sensory overload starts to get to me, and I start to long for the tranquil mountains of Vermont.  On a deeper level, I struggle with the fabricated authenticity of the mega-resorts, and the environmentalist in me loathes the scale of flights, lights, and air conditioned rooms in such a fragile desert environment.

But let’s put these issues aside for a moment and focus on the merits of Sin City: it is one place a designer can go to find everything under the sun: the good, the bad, and the ugly.  It is a laboratory of design ideas, and every few years, the whole thing reinvents itself. 

During our latest trip to Vegas (strictly business, of course), a lot of our attention was focused on the hotels of the brand-new CItyCenter development, still celebrating their grand opening.  But some of our favorite interiors were located elsewhere on the strip as well.  These are our top five Las Vegas interiors.  (click the photos below to zoom in for a closer look.)

1.   TWIST at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel

In an earlier post, I mentioned the new ARIA hotel, the centerpiece of the 18-million square foot CityCenter mega-development.  This is the largest and most expensive commercial project in the history of the U.S.  At the front of CityCenter, directly facing Las Vegas Boulevard, sits the 47-story Mandarin Oriental, a non-gaming hotel and residential tower designed by Kohn-Pedersen Fox.  The lower half of the building is comprised of hotel guestrooms and suites, while the upper half is the residential portion.  When entering the building, you immediately zip up to the 23^rd floor Sky Lobby, where you’ll find the registration desk, Mandarin Bar, and Twist Restaurant.

Twist by French chef Pierre Gagnaire was designed by Adam Tihany of Tihany Design, one of the marquee names of architects and designers brought in to design the CityCenter development.

The restaurant interior is illuminated with 300 glass globes that seem to float from the ceiling.  The walls are finished with sculpted art panels that look like cracked eggshells.  This motif is picked up again on the menu and table linens.  And surrounding it all are floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Las Vegas strip.

 

     

2.  FIAMMA TRATTORIA & BAR at MGM Grand

This space in the MGM Grand has a lot going on.  The Fiamma Trattoria is an Italian-inspired restaurant but has a very modern, “upscale rustic” design.  It is very Vegas, edgy with a hint of romance.

Materiality takes a back seat to light and form.  The restaurant has dark wood floors, modern furniture, and dramatic lighting.  We were especially drawn to the backlit marble tabletops, and the chainmail fireplace flue surround.

The space lacks an overall cohesion to pull everything together, and I’m not sure if the overindulgent explosion of forms pairs well with the simple flavors of Italy.  But still, there are so many clever and attractive moves here that it warrants a spot on my top five.

3.  VDARA HOTEL LOBBY

The Vdara hotel is a smaller, quieter, non-gaming hotel that is located next door to ARIA, on the more private side of the CityCenter site.

The opening of CityCenter just last year marked a huge break from the themepark approach of the latest chapter in the history of Vegas hotels.  Up until now, the grandest spaces on the strip were built as reproductions (or variants) of world cities such as Paris, Venice, and New York.  These spaces are replicas of something else.  They are fakes.

CityCenter turned the page on that chapter, with an array of hotels and residences based on nothing more than pure architectural modernism.  I see here a use of original design as a means of achieving authenticity.  It makes sense, then, that CityCenter also invested so much in an impressive collection of modern art.  MGM Resorts, the owners of CityCenter, spent $40 million for 15 original pieces that are sprinkled throughout the buildings and grounds.

One of the best spots to experience some of these masterworks is the main lobby of the Vdara Hotel.  Behind the reception desk is one of Frank Stella’s most prominent pieces, “Damascus Gate Variation I”, from 1969, an 8 x 32 foot shaped canvas of semicircles in luminous colors.  It was reported to us (by the amiable young girls behind the reception desk) that MGM paid $5 million for this piece.  Just a few steps away, hanging in the main lobby opposite the Bar Vdara, is “Lucky Dream” by Robert Rauschenberg, a 1999 collage of found images that is heralded as one of his masterpieces.  Around the corner, in the concierge lobby, is a new commission by the American artist Peter Wegner: “Day for Night, Night for Day”, two towering sculptures of colored paper on opposing east and west walls, 34 and 45 feet tall, respectively.  And right outside is another new commission by the sculptor Nancy Rubins, “Big Edge”, a 57 by 75 foot long conglomeration of rowboats, canoes and other water vessels merging into a gravity-defying “blooming flower”.

Together, these pieces constitute some of the best works from some of the biggest names in Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, and Post-Modernism.

4.  WOLFGANG PUCK BAR & GRILLE at MGM Grand

The Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grille is an airy, summery space that stands as a peaceful retreat within the harsher environment of the jarring casino.  The restaurant opened in 2004 in the MGM Grand.

Wolfgang Puck forever changed the culinary scene in Vegas with the opening of his signature restaurant, Spago.  This Bar & Grille is a continuation of the celebrity-chef phenomenon, with a thoughtfully designed interior.  As described on wolfgangpuck.com, “Designer Tony Chi combines the energetic feel of the beach lifestyle and the cool beauty of a garden to capture the essence of the casual elegance of the California dining experience”.

We liked the simple wood furniture, with thoughtful details like the accentuated barstool feet sitting on a light wood floor.  Tablecloth fabric is stretched over ceiling panels arranged overhead.  And there is a playful use of translucency and transparency in the patterned glass that surrounds you.  The whole thing feels like a summer picnic.

5.  FIX at the Bellagio

Many Vegas interiors are offensively busy, bombarding you with an explosion of forms and colors, intended to get your heart pumping.  At the Fix restaurant in the Bellagio hotel, you’re greeted with a soothing atmosphere of flowing forms that are just as exhilarating as anything you’d find elsewhere on the strip, but without the tacky razzle dazzle.

The interiors of FIX are based on a simple gesture that is carried consistently throughout the entire space.  The restaurant is enclosed from floor to ceiling in curved Costa Rican padouk wood.  Even the mechanical systems are integrated into the flowing curves.  If you look carefully, you’ll see the wood planks dip slightly to reveal a fresh air register.  Some very complicated coordination took place here to make this seem as simple as it does.

You can’t tell by these photos, but the space is also completely open on one side to the main floor of the Bellagio casino, allowing for prime viewing.  The sinuous curves enveloping the entire room provide a sheltered sanctuary from which you can safely observe the debauchery beyond.

Top Five: Green Products

posted by Matthew Bushey, AIA

Everyone is touting their green credentials these days.  We are constantly evaluating manufacturer’s claims of environmental performance for the products we specify on architecture and interior design projects.  It can get a little confusing at times, with some dubious claims to say the least.  But we have also come across many innovative products that provide clever solutions to environmental challenges.  These are my top five green products.

It’s a little deceiving to say one product is “greener” than another, since the environmental field is so broad. Different products may have different goals, but perhaps equally noble. In order to simplify the evaluation, I group the goals for green building into these 3 areas:

• Global: Energy Efficiency (reduce global warming emissions; reduce dependency on fossil fuels)
• Regional: Conservation of Resources (reduce waste; preserve natural resources; decrease water usage)
• Local: Indoor Air Quality (where we see the most direct and personal benefit from Green Design: in a healthy indoor environment)

So how does a product meet these lofty goals?  In order to make it a little easier to identify the truly eco-friendly products, I follow this list of six characteristics of what makes a product environmentally preferable:

a.  Reused: Salvaging a material to prevent its disposal, lengthening its useful life and preventing the extraction or manufacture of virgin materials.
b.  Recycled: The most common attribute when we think of “green” products: those made from materials with recycled content
c.  Renewable: rapidly renewable materials, such as bamboo, wheat, or wood that comes from certified, well-managed forests.
d.  Local: The USGBC’s LEED rating system for green buildings quantifies this as a material that is extracted, processed and manufactured within 500 miles of the construction site, saving transportation fuel and supporting local economies.
e.  Durable: A product with a longer lifespan reduces the need for replacement.
f.  Safe and Healthy: This includes products that contribute to a safe, healthy indoor environment, (ie. low-VOC paints, caulks, and adhesives) and products that do not release toxins into the atmosphere (ie. safe substitutes for PVC, polyvinyl chloride or ozone-depleting chemicals)

So that defines the criteria.  Now let’s get to the solutions.  Here are my top five green products:

1.   AUTOMATIC COMPOSTER by NatureMill

The Automatic Composter by NatureMill is an indoor composter that is self-contained, odor-free, and automatic.  Food waste is dropped into the upper chamber, where it is mixed, heated, moistened and ventilated every four hours.  In about 2 weeks, you can open the lower tray where the material has fully turned into ready-to-use nitrogen-rich compost for your garden.  The whole process takes significantly less time and effort than conventional composting systems, and the device uses only about 5 kWh per month, less energy than the fuel that would be used by a garbage truck to move the same amount of trash.

2.  EnduraLED LIGHT BULB by Philips

There are millions of screw-in incandescent sockets in this country, and as we transition to a low-energy future, we will need to fill those sockets with something that is efficient, but familiar. There are plenty of companies producing LED bulbs now, but from what I’ve seen, Philips is quickly emerging as the leader in the field.

The EnduraLED “A-Shape” bulb is a 7 watt LED retrofit light bulb that replaces a 15-25 watt incandescent bulb. Conveniently shaped like a standard incandescent lightbulb, the EnduraLED produces an even, diffuse light, contains no mercury, and has a rated life of 40,000 hours, which is about 20 years of warm white ambient light.

3.  TIMBERSIL PRESSURE-TREATED WOOD

TimberSIL is a safe alternative to conventional pressure-treated lumber.  Instead of using dangerous chemicals, TimberSIL uses glass in the form of sodium silica as the preservative.  The sodium silica, rescued from agricultural waste, completely surrounds and protects the wood fibers making this a long lasting wood product, resistant to rot, decay and insects. TimberSIL is also stronger, harder, and more insulating than untreated wood, and unlike traditionally treated woods, is non-toxic, non-corrosive, and is a Class A Fire retardant — the same rating as concrete.

Yes, it is more expensive than conventional pressure-treated yellow pine, but you be assured that this is safe for children, pets, and the earth.  The wood can come into direct contact with the ground, and no special fasteners or exotic tools are required.  It is available locally at Planet Hardwood.

4.  TRANSITIONAL WATER-EFFICIENT SHOWERHEAD by Delta

Water conservation is going to be one of the major environmental issues in the decades ahead.  I decided to do my part by switching out our thirsty shower fixture for the highly rated water-efficient showerhead by Delta.

Introduced in 2006, this showerhead delivers superb performance using just 1.6 gallons of water per minute (gpm). With what they call H₂Okinetic Technology, the faucet produces droplets that are fairly large, resulting in good heat retention and body wetting.  By comparison, many low-flow showerheads either create very small droplets or aerate the water, either of which can allow the water to cool quickly and make showering less satisfactory.

The H₂Okinetic Technology is available in a traditional, transitional or contemporary styled showerhead, and is available in chrome, bronze, stainless, or pewter.

You may be wondering, is switching to a low-flow showerhead really worth it?  Besides the clear environmental benefits of using less water (and the corresponding reduction in waste water), I looked at the strictly economic benefits of making the switch.  In our household, switching from our old 2.5 gpm showerhead to the 1.5 gpm Delta faucet saves us over 5,000 gallons of water per year.  (yes, I timed our showers.)  This comes to a savings of $44 in water per year, plus an additional $36 in water heating, totaling $80 saved every year, which is more than the cost of fixture.  Water is relatively cheap in Vermont, so if you’re in another part of the country, the savings could be even more.

5.  STEALTH TOILET by Niagra Conservation

Some day in the not-so-distant future, I predict we will look back with amazement that we would take perfectly good drinking water and literally flush it down the toilet.  Not too long ago, it was common to dump over 3 gallons of water with each flush, and before 1982, toilets used 5 to 7 gallons per flush.  Today, the maximum is 1.6 gpf, but there are some fixtures that are doing even better.

The Stealth Toilet by Niagra Conservation is an ultra-high efficiency toilet that uses a mere 0.8 gallons of water per flush by forcing the water through the toilet chamber with hydraulic pressure.  This is even less water than my dual-flush Toto that comes in at 1.6 or 0.9 gpm, depending on your .. ahem… disposal needs.  Because of the clever design of the Stealth, you get more flushing power with less water.

Meet TruexCullins' Summer Interns

posted by Tommy Ngan, Marketing Intern

Raeden Zavis
Following in her father’s footsteps, Raeden Zavis of Vermont joins TruexCullins' Interior Design team for her summer internship.  Enthusiastic about her work, Raeden finds meeting with clients and discussing interior design projects to be a rewarding experience. This fall, she will continue her studies at Syracuse University in her junior year.

Tommy Ngan

Stepping into his final year at Champlain College, Tommy Ngan walks into TruexCullins as a summer intern for the Marketing Department.  Working before two LCD monitors, Tommy aids Susan Weeks with organizing past publications of TruexCullins to monitoring the Twitter and Facebook presence. Between office work and going on site, interning at TruexCullins has become a gratifying experience.

Xavier Donnelly

A recent graduate of Burlington High School, Xavier teams up with the architects at TruexCullins.  Having taken architecture-related courses at Burlington Tech, Xavier has his sights set on Rhode Island School of Design to pursue his goal as an architect. From designing on the computer to attending the final review for the Norwich University Spring 2010 architecture class presentations with Steve Kredell, he has found interning at TruexCullins to be very rewarding.

Cameron Breck

Having already taken architecture-related courses at Champlain Valley Union High School, Cameron interns at TruexCullins in the architecture department.  From drafting  and rendering models on the computer to creating cardboard models of clients’ houses, Cameron finds his internship helpful as he enters the Rhode Island School of Design this fall. Though he is considering industrial design over architecture, there is no doubt his experiences at TruexCullins will aid him in his future.