Project Details

The Stella in New Rochelle, NY is a 27-story mixed-use high-rise development designed by Beyer Blinder Belle Architects. Based in the heart of downtown NY, the aim of the development was to combine affordable residential housing with a large ground-floor commercial space.  

The design intent for the exterior façade was to create a contemporary design that would incorporate a range of building materials. In addition, an intention for the exterior façade was to develop a finish on aluminum composite panels that could mimic the look of real concrete, in particular, Ivory Concrete. This would allow the project to have the look of a concrete façade but with the benefits that come from using metal cladding materials.  

Fairview’s Solution

Fairview Architectural was brought in to assist with the project due to our expertise in creating unique finishes on aluminum composite cladding. Fairview Architectural’s color laboratory was used, in conjunction with the project team at Beyer Blinder Belle and ES Windows. 

The final finish chosen for The Stella not only looks like concrete it also has a textured look and feel that makes it almost impossible to tell the difference between real concrete panels and the Ivory Concrete on aluminum composite panels.  

Mark Knapp from ES Windows who installed the panels commented:

“We were brought on to this project to offer design assistance. The architects were looking for an aluminum alternative to an existing construction material. We couldn’t be happier with the result. Fairview really showed their expertise in creating this custom-matched finish and we wouldn’t hesitate to use them on similar projects in the future. They are the industry’s best-kept secret when it comes to finishes and color matching.” 

The Finish 

Ivory Concrete is a coil-coated finish on 4mm Vitrabond® FR aluminum composite panels. This cladding material consists of two sheets of 0.02” aluminum sandwiching a fire-retardant core. The coil-coated finishes use a Kynar PVDF resin that makes it possible for the panels to be formed and rolled without any cracking or crazing.  

Get your samples of Ivory Concrete today!

Awards

Westchester Home Builders Awards – Best Luxury Multifamily Development

The material of the core, thin as it is, is based on minimally processed minerals that are compatible and fusible with the extremely thin aluminum sheets. The Vitrabond® panels are an example of dematerialization, the concept of using less material to fulfill an intended purpose. This correlates with less embodied resources and lighter weight load. As another factor to sustainability, the panels have minimal maintenance and outstanding longevity.

Outstanding Finishes

The exterior finish is a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) finish meeting AAMA 2605 performance standards⁴, providing an exceedingly high level of durability⁵, and resistance to dirt accumulation because of its fluoropolymer formula³. Fairview Architectural has extensive options regarding the aesthetics of PVDF finishes. The variability of formulations allows for a wide range of colors, gloss, and special effects such as metallic speckling⁵. Specific formulations are proprietary, but constituents such as metal oxides and mica pearlescent are used for aesthetics⁵. The finish is factory-applied by coil coating⁶, a highly automated and highly efficient process. On a continuous coil coating line, the aluminum sheet is uncoiled, pretreated, primed, coated, cured in finish oven, then recoiled. At Capitol Vista, the finishes are Ascot White, Pewter Metallic, and Smoke Silver Metallic.

Production of Panels and Fabrication

Sustainability in the architectural industry involves considerations of the building materials, specifically raw materials, supply chain, and characteristics of the end product. The Vitrabond® aluminum composite panels are produced by merging the PVDF top-coated aluminum sheet fed from above, with the mineral-based core material as a heated extruded layer fed laterally, along with the backside aluminum sheet fed from below, together passed through rollers in a continuous automated process. The combined interactions of cooling, drying, and pressure cause fusion of the aluminum sheets to the core material as an incredibly thin rigid composite, having a top-coating that is exceptionally durable to the exterior environment. Fabrication is a different stage of production by a separate entity, in this case by Del Metro Inc. Fabrication involves cutting to size, then routing and folding at the perimeter edge to result in a continuous return for attachment of respective panels.

Method of Attachment

Vitrabond® panels can be integrated into numerous attachment systems available to the building industry. At Capitol Vista, the panels attach by rivets to the Arrowhead® Flex system, also by Fairview Architectural. The patented system is designed to simplify installation, minimize fallibilities, and reduce labor costs⁷. The system consists of small, intricately shaped linear profiles, which in this context can be referred to as pieces. First a base piece is fastened through shims to the substructure. An intermediate piece, to which the Vitrabond® panels are attached, interlocks to the base piece by an innovative T-clip⁸. The Arrowhead® Flex system is non-sequential, meaning respective panels are installed independently of adjacent panels, thereby allowing flexibility in the construction process. Shown below is a detail of the assembly.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Grimm + Parker Architects for reviewing the article and Del Metro Inc. for the assembly detail.

References

¹District of Colombia, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. 2015. Request for Proposals: Capital Vista (2nd & H Streets, N.W.)

²Vitrabond® Aluminum Composite Panel Technical Information. 2013. Fairview Architectura

³Ehrlich, B. 2014. Cladding: More Than Just a Pretty Façade. Environmental Building News 23(9): 1-10.

⁴Vitrabond® Technical Manual. 2020. Fairview Architectural.

⁵Iezzi, R. A. 2015. Polyvinylidene Fluoride-Based Coatings Technology. In: ASM Handbook, Volume 5B, Protective Organic Coatings. K. B. Tator (ed.)

⁶Vitrabond® FR Metal Composite Material, Façade System Specification Template. 2016. Fairview Architectural.

⁷Arrowhead Information Flyer. 2020. Fairview Architectural.

⁸DrJ Engineering, LLC. 2021. Technical Evaluation Report TER 2006-02 Arrowhead® Fastening System. Fairview Architectural.

(This article was originally published on www.FLSustainability.com)

The panels use 70% less aluminum than conventional 1/8” aluminum plate, thereby having the advantages of aluminum but in significantly lower quantity. This is significant considering virgin aluminum is especially energy-intensive to produce³, but aluminum can be considered highly sustainable when used sparingly. The material of the core, thin as it is, is based on minimally processed minerals that are compatible and fusible with the extremely thin aluminum sheets. The Vitrabond® panels are an example of dematerialization, the concept of using less material to fulfill an intended purpose. This correlates with less embodied resources and lighter weight load. As another factor to sustainability, the panels have minimal maintenance and outstanding longevity.

Finishes that Make a Difference

The exterior finish is a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) finish meeting AAMA 2605 performance standards⁴, providing an exceedingly high level of durability. Additionally, PVDF finish-coating resists dirt accumulation because of its fluoropolymer formula³. The finish is factory-applied by coil coating⁵, a highly automated and highly efficient process. On a continuous coil coating line, the aluminum sheet is uncoiled, pretreated, primed, coated, cured in finish oven, and recoiled. With PVDF coil coating, solid colors are of unsurpassed color consistency. Specifically at 808-812 Memorial Drive, the finish colors are warm earth-tones of Clay, Sedona, and equivalent of Pantone 41-6U, which are all customized colors.

Production of Panels

Sustainability in the architectural industry involves considerations of the building materials, specifically raw materials, supply chain, and characteristics of the end product. The Vitrabond® aluminum composite panels are produced by merging the PVDF top-coated aluminum sheet fed from above, with the mineral-based core material as a heated extruded layer fed laterally, along with the backside aluminum sheet fed from below, together passed through rollers in a continuous automated process. The combined interactions of cooling, drying, and pressure cause fusion of the aluminum sheets to the core material as an incredibly thin rigid composite, having a top-coating that is exceptionally durable to the exterior environment.

Method of Attachment

Vitrabond® panels can be integrated into numerous attachment systems available to the building industry. Specifically at 808-812 Memorial Drive, the panels, fabricated and installed by Sunrise Erectors, are layered over Kingspan® KarrierPanel® wall system. The assembly includes 4” thick insulation panels of polyisocyanurate faced with light-gauge steel. The panels are profiled at the edges for reciprocal jointing, and the joints are sealed with butyl sealant. A specially designed rail (KarrierRailTM) is fastened over the insulation panels so that the air vapor barrier is not penetrated and the insulating layer is continuous⁶,⁷. The vertical rails extend 1” beyond the insulation panels and function as a substructure for the route and return attachment system by Sunrise Erectors, consisting of intricately small linear aluminum profiles to which the Vitrabond® panels attach. Shown below is a detail of the assembly.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Bruner/Cott Architects and Sunrise Erectors for specifics on the exterior wall assembly.

References

¹New Ecology. 2020. 808-812 Memorial Drive: Energy & Water Savings through the Auditing Process.

²Vitrabond® Aluminum Composite Panel Technical Information. 2013. Fairview Architectural. 

³Ehrlich, B. 2014. Cladding: More Than Just a Pretty Façade. Environmental Building News 23(9): 1-10.

⁴Vitrabond® Technical Manual. 2020. Fairview Architectural.

⁵Vitrabond® FR Metal Composite Material, Façade System Specification Template. 2016. Fairview Architectural.

⁶KarrierPanel® Wall System Installation Guide. 2022. Kingspan Insulated Panels Inc.

⁷KarrierPanel® Universal Barrier Wall Solution. 2022. Kingspan Insulated Panels Inc.

(This article was originally published on www.FLSustainability.com)

Palette of Finishes

The exterior finish is a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) finish meeting AAMA 2605 performance standards3, providing an exceedingly high level of durability. Additionally, PVDF finish-coating resists dirt accumulation because of its fluoropolymer formula². There is an array of PVDF finish coatings for not only color options but also gloss level, texture, and color mottling. The finish is factory-applied by coil coating⁴, a highly automated and highly efficient process. On a continuous coil coating line, the aluminum sheet is uncoiled, pretreated, primed, coated, cured in finish oven, and recoiled. With layered coil coating capabilities, variations such as blotches, markings, or patterning of coats are applied in sequence according to preconfigured design having a collective aesthetic effect. The resulting coil-coated print can have a distinctively aged and weathered appearance, while in actuality it is exceptionally resistant to aging and weathering. Specifically, the finishes used at CSX East were: Nimitz Blue, Azure Patina, Longhorn Rust, Nebula Blue, Mesa Rust, Mojave Rust, and Sierra Rust. Fairview Architectural takes special ownership of having worked in coordination with the architect to develop these customized faux metal finishes.

Production of Panels

Sustainability in the architectural industry involves considerations of the building materials, specifically raw materials, supply chain, and characteristics of the end product. The Vitrabond® aluminum composite panels are produced by merging the PVDF top-coated aluminum sheet fed from above, with the mineral-based core material as a heated extruded layer fed laterally, along with the backside aluminum sheet fed from below, together passed through rollers in a continuous automated process. The combined interactions of cooling, drying, and pressure cause fusion of the aluminum sheets to the core material as an incredibly thin rigid composite, having a top-coating that is exceptionally durable to the exterior environment.

References

¹Vitrabond® Aluminum Composite Panel Technical Information. 2013. Fairview Architectural.

²Ehrlich, B. 2014. Cladding: More Than Just a Pretty Façade. Environmental Building News 23(9): 1-10.

⁴Vitrabond® FR Metal Composite Material, Façade System Specification Template. 2016. Fairview Architectural.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system was developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) in 1998 to provide third-party verification that a building project has reached LEED Certification. There are four levels of certification (Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum) that a building project can achieve by being awarded point-based credits within the rating system.

LEED has evolved and grown over the years. The current version is LEED version 4 which focuses on different building and renovation types. The LEED Building Design and Construction (BD+C) reference guide focuses on eight building types and can be viewed here.

There are several ways that metal cladding products such as solid 3mm aluminum and aluminum composite materials can be used to earn credits towards the “Building Product Disclosure and Optimization – Sourcing of Raw Materials” LEED rating system category for a building. Here is an example of the credits possible for new constructions:

To find out what credits a product has, ask the manufacturer for their LEED Data Sheet. You will then receive something that looks like this:

The products are services provided by manufacturers like Fairview and do not earn project points themselves. Our role is instead to educate our team and our customers on how our products can contribute to a building’s overall LEED rating. We also become involved in the process when supplying LEED product compliance is required.

An example of this is the SYLPOE – San Ysidro Land of Port of Entry. This project is the first LEED Platinum land port of entry out of more than 20 LEED-registered border crossings in the US. This project features 168,297sf of our 3mm solid aluminum Vitraplate panels. More information on this project here.

You can download our LEED Data Sheet from our Digital Document Binder. Alternatively, for more information on LEED in general and Fairview’s metal cladding products, please contact our team today at helpdesk@farview-na.com or use our online form.