MetalTech-USA, the exclusive distributor for Asturiana de Laminados S.A. brand name elZinc, has recently announced the launch of its new website, www.elzinc.us.com, devoted solely to their architectural zinc line elZinc America. This site is dedicated to further expand the brand name and increase product awareness of elZinc in the North and South American market.

​The new bilingual site is intended to inform and showcase elZinc as a sustainable, cladding material, while also providing all the tools and documentation necessary for specification available for download. Also contained in the site is a brief overview of elZinc as an international brand, useful technical and environmental information on the titanium-zinc alloy, and the wide range of aesthetic and technical finishes available.

“With the launching of the elZinc America website, we expect to further expand our sales in architectural zinc, while also offering additional services and resources to our clients,” says Nils Simonsen, President of MetalTech-USA. “We are eager to see what new opportunities arise from the launch of the site.”

 

The Seacoast region of New Hampshire is in the wake of an artistic and cultural spring due to the recent opening of 3SArtspace (3S), a non-profit venue in Portsmouth. 3SArtspace is a 10,000 square foot multipurpose building combining three key areas – performance space, gallery, and a restaurant. An adaptive reuse project, McHenry Architecture resurrected the nondescript concrete structure into a warm community gathering place with a raw industrial vibe due in part to weathering steel cladding by MetalTech-USA.

McHenry Architecture was tasked with the mission to completely recycle an underutilized warehouse space into the newly minted cultural institution.

“3SArtspace turned out to be a remarkable project. The weathered steel really transformed the facade and completes the desired look that McHenry Architecture intended for space,” says Michael Love, Senior Project Manager at MetalTech-USA.

Built on the waterfront of Portsmouth’s downtown Historic District, 3S is the first truly contemporary building. The exterior material palette consists of weathering steel cladding in alternating profiles, weathered wood boards, and translucent cladding at entrances. Inspired by the area’s shipbuilding past, the oxidized metal panels are a nod to the scrap metal piles once lining the area’s storefront.

“We were renovating an existing concrete building,” says McHenry Architecture Principal Steve McHenry. “Simple and rustic raw materials seemed appropriate yet visually distinctive.”

McHenry Architecture selected MetalTech-USA’s weathered steel to help achieve the distinctive look they were seeking. Weathered Steel, often referred to as Cor-Ten or A606, is a unique material gaining popularity for its distinctive rust patina. This natural yet stable protective coating acts as a defense against further corrosion. Weathered steel arrives unrusted and develops a rust-like appearance once exposed to the elements for a period of time.
MetalTech-USA was also chosen to fabricate the weathered steel panels for the facade. Roughly 3,300 square feet of sinusoidal corrugated panels and 1,800 square feet of flat panels were fabricated from 22 Gauge and 20 Gauge weathering steel. The panels were through fastened to the plywood underlayment with stainless steel screws and exposed fastener heads. Installation of the metal panels was completed by Industrial Roofing Companies of Lewiston, Maine.

“This was a good project for the community and with the finishes, including the weathering steel, it fits right into the area and looks like it has been there for a while. It is exactly what we envisioned from the get-go.” says David Link, Metal Services Manager at Industrial Roofing Companies.

 

Nestled amid the mountain ridges of Colorado, the Gold Run Circle residence stands apart from other mountain homes due to its unique material palette including weathered steel panels fabricated by MetalTech-USA.

Installed by Pinnacle Mountain Homes of Breckenridge, Colorado, the majority of the home’s façade was clad with beetle kill spruce paired with weathered steel panels to achieve a modern, yet rustic look that both the designer and homeowner desired. The 5,800 square foot residence contains 4 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms in 4,050 square feet of living space.

Bill Aldridge, the owner of Aldridge Design Services, was tasked as the lead designer for the residence. In terms of the façade, Aldridge was to provide a design that allowed the home to blend in with nearby mountain residences while also portraying unique qualities. This was accomplished through the building form and use of materials.

The weathering steel was chosen not only for the intrinsic beauty provided in all seasons but also its durability in extreme climates. “I knew [the metal panels] could protect against the harsh climate that is the Colorado Mountains, without any need for maintenance or refinishing and the patina it’s receiving from the climate is only increasing its beauty,” says Aldridge.

Gold Run residence is clad in 900 square feet of MetalTech-USA’s 22 Gauge Weathering Steel Flatlock Panels. The 18”x24” Rectangular Flatlocks form a grid-like pattern covering the facade of the office and along the base of the home.

 

An antiquated business complex in Windsor, Connecticut has been reimagined into the new CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering, a state-of-the-art Magnet School, with the help of MetalTech-USA’s zinc panels. Opened in September 2015, this new facility houses 735 students Grades 6-12 in an impressive 150,197 square feet. The old structure was stripped to its steel frame and retrofitted to be as visionary as the school itself.

Friar Associates of Farmington, Connecticut drew from Connecticut’s history steeped in aeronautics and aviation for the school’s thematic design. The exterior features a material palette inspired by the Hubble Telescope’s deep space photo of the Lagoon Nebula as well as a contemporary “airfoil” form to emphasize the middle school façade. Zinc was chosen to clad the façade of this unique structure.

“The look of zinc best represented the look of an airplane wing while being aesthetically pleasing at the same time,” says Friar Associates Senior Project Manager Bryce Sens. “Additionally, the gray color of the zinc fit perfectly into the exterior color scheme of the building which consists of both black and white phenolic rain screen panels on opposing sides of the structure.”
MetalTech-USA was selected to fabricate the 22 GA (.8mm) pre-weathered zinc cladding. The original design called for a zinc Standing Seam system to be applied to the wing. “The curvature and conical shape of the structure made it difficult to continue the straight line orientation of the Standing Seam Panels on the upper roof area,” cites MetalTech-USA Senior Project Manager Michael Love.

To best accommodate the architecture, Friar Associates made the decision to install MetalTech-USA Flatlock Panels as well. In total, 5,200 square feet of Double Lock Standing Seam and 3,900 square of Flatlocks were used. The Flatlock Panels were installed diagonally to better conform to the curvature of the lower roof.
“The fact that tiles actually ‘corkscrew’ around the wing is a natural reaction of the material to the complex geometry of the wing,” says Sens.

“Friar Associates is extremely proud of the final outcome of this project. We transformed what used to be an ordinary office building into what we would consider a habitable work of art that teaches and informs the occupants of the building (MS and HS students) aeronautic concepts via Architecture and Engineering.”
The installing contractor on this project was Silktown Roofing of Manchester, Connecticut.
MetalTech-USA is the premier distributor and specialty fabricator of eco-friendly architectural metals specializing in roofing, facade, and soffit cladding systems. For more information, visit www.metaltech-usa.com, or call 770-486-8825.