The ever-growing Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA) wanted to better accommodate the 600,000+ passengers that move through the airport annually. To help guide commuters to the terminal and protect them from poor weather and glare, ROA incorporated 7,560 sq. ft. of our Pentaglas canopy system into a massive $1.9 million renovation project for the airport. Designed to match the architectural style and feel of the airport itself, our blue matte canopy serves as a focal point, spanning the entire length of the Long-Term parking lot to lead guests and travelers to the Terminal’s main entrance.

The Skokomish Tribe’s brand-new community center encourages stronger relationships within the tribe through programs highlighting culture, traditions, education, ceremonies, and more. The center celebrates the Tribe’s environmentalist culture by incorporating a variety of “green” initiatives, including: LED lighting, over 400 solar panels on the roof, and 3,280 sq. ft. our U-Lite canopy system to provide an abundance of natural light in the entryway below. Traditional Coast Salish artwork was also incorporated into the building’s structure, seen in the barn-style doors and carved poles at the entrance, which make up the canopy posts. The Skokomish center creates a welcoming environment for all members, and the community believes the new facility is a sign of progress for the tribe and a great indicator of what is to come.

The Ohio State Transit Centers across campus now feature our U-Lite translucent canopy system to provide shelter for the drop off and pick up areas. Over 10,200 sq. ft. of our canopy systems were installed on the school campus, specified in an ice white glazing color. The U-Lite system allows for an abundance of natural light beneath the covered area, creating comfortable and defined spaces for students and passengers. Our pre-engineered system was the perfect solution for the project’s compressed schedule, eliminating weeks of engineering and submittal time and resulting in substantial cost savings.

When the Indianapolis Zoo was given a $10 million grant, the one condition for using it was that it needed to implement an initiative that benefits the community’s goal of long-term sustainability. The result? The zoo’s bicentennial pavilion, which hosts a wide range of events and is protected from weather by our U-Lite™ canopy system. Modeled after a lush rain forest, and crafted primarily from natural materials, the space houses 11 “pods” for up to 1,000 seated attendees and is the perfect environment for the Macaws presentation it currently hosts. The canopies allow for 100% collection of rainwater, which percolates into an aquifer as opposed to being discharged to city sewers, achieving the sustainability goals and requirements for the project.

When you think of Charleston, South Carolina, Boeing’s 787 Final Assembly Building probably isn’t the first thing to come to mind, but it is the first thing you see when you enter the Charleston International Airport. “[It was] the largest construction project on the East Coast at the time and the largest construction project ever in South Carolina,” said Senior Project Manager Steve McGrey of KBR Building Group, a division of BE&K.

The assembly building is a joint venture project between the BE&K Building Group, Turner Construction Company, and design partners BRPH Architects. The facility stands at 1.2 million sq. ft. and was built in just eighteen months. It needed to meet hurricane wind loads due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. This task proved to be challenging for many systems, but UniQuad® proved to be the perfect fit. The UniQuad system worked with the architect’s design without forcing them to compromise their vision, and provided the ideal light levels based on the design of the doors, orientation of the building, the height of the windows, and other factors.

“[The UniQuad panels] were integrated into the 85 ft. tall hangar doors on either end,” said McGrey. “Timing was critical to door completion, which then allowed the start-up of the HVAC systems that were necessary for Boeing production tooling installations.”

The speedy installation of the panels allowed for production to begin six months ahead of schedule.
The economic impact of the plant was massive on the city of Charleston. Approximately $10 billion is injected back into the community annually as a result of the facility, with over 7,000 new jobs to help strengthen the city’s workforce. In the last four years, the Charleston workforce was boosted by
more than five percent, according to a recent economic study. Charleston is the first city to house a new Boeing aircraft assembly line outside of the Seattle, Washington base.