RPC

Rob Pelletier Construction, Inc. Houston Texas

The Advanced Learning Library

The Advanced Learning Library is a state-of-the-art library located in Wichita, KS. The largest operable wall on this project is very unique in that the wall is Crystal glass on top with the bottom 36” being a solid Signature. This rare combination helps in achieving the 12’7” ceiling height requirement as well as a rare aesthetic touch. More importantly, the outstanding acoustical performance of the wall enables them to separate their sometimes-noisy lobby from their main library which requires absolute silence for readers or open the entire area up for large events. In addition, this wall allows for multiple configurations allowing or not allowing guest to use the stairs.

Product : Crystal 241 molded together with Signature 841

Architect : GLMV Architecture

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Lubbock Elementary

Through their educational journey, students undergo significant changes as their cognitive abilities magnify at each grade level. Learning spaces change and develop, much as the brain does. This idea accommodates the academic development of children and improves the understandings of cognition. As young learners move through elementary grades the classrooms become more structured, from shared rolling tables to individual desks. To implement progressive 21st Century learning, forward-thinking schools are working alongside architects to develop innovative design methods that enable collaboration and flexibility of space. Such efforts have found a solution in “learning hubs,” a grouping of classrooms around a centralized area, where kids work together, and teachers join in an exchange of resources. Lubbock Cooper Independent School District (LCISD) in Texas implements these findings throughout their K-12 campuses with one common goal: the success of all students.

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Living Learning Community

The Vision
The University of Nevada, Reno completed construction of a new five-story, 124,000-square-foot Living Learning Community building in June 2012 to accommodate up to 320 students. Living learning communities are designed to integrate student learning with on-campus residential living, helping students make connections and develop friendships with those who have similar academic interests. Students are assigned to the same floor in the residence hall, take one or more core courses in the building and actively participate in their floor communities. The University of Nevada, Reno, currently offers nine distinctive Living Learning Communities within the building focused on journalism, business, Women in Science and Engineering, education, pre-nursing, engineering, art and honors. The accommodations in the building are suite-style with three different configurations housing four, five, or six students per suite.

The Airolite Look…
livinglearning-2.jpgThe new Nevada Living Learning Community is the first of its kind on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno. This innovative structure and striking design were intended to serve as a recruiting tool and make a dramatic statement about the University’s commitment to sustainable and contemporary architectural design. The environmentally sensitive design included many features that helped the building earn LEED Silver Certification.

The architect and building owner wanted to maximize outdoor views and daylight in the common areas where students gather to enhance the living experience while reducing solar heat gain.

Eighty-two sections of Airolite vertical rectangulartube sun contols and horizontal airfoil sun controls were installed on the front façade/atrium area with a southern exposure to provide a unique and aesthetically pleasing solution to daylighting and energy control objectives. Another section of sun controls was installed on the building’s West-facing elevation overlooking an outdoor courtyard area. All the sun controls as well as nine sections of Airolite Drainable Louvers (Model K6774) were finished with a custom, color match two-coat gold Kynar 500® resin coating selected by the architect to match window and curtainwall systems while complementing the red and gold tones in the exterior brick work.

That Works
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Custom sun controls were strategically placed horizontally on several elevations to allow abundant views from the interior. The vertical sun controls were installed between the curtainwall systems’ deep decorative caps. All product was finished with a custom, color match two-coat gold Kynar 500® resin coating.

The Airolite louvers, Model K6774, can achieve high volume air flow while providing superior resistance to water penetration. Drainable louvers are fabricated with gutters at the front edge of each blade to prevent water droplets from dropping onto lower blades and entering the intake air flow.

Architect Peter Grove of Collaborative Design Studio was very pleased with the look and functionality of the Airolite louvers and sun controls. He stated, “The nice clean lines, style and depth of shades provide the look and daylight desired while also reducing solar heat gain.”

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UpCycle Office

Sector: Offices

Location: Austin, Texas, USA

Architect: Gensler

Photography: Dror Baldinger FAIA Architectural Photography

In the heart of East Austin, Texas, on the site of a former recycling centre, new type of shared office space is utilising elements from the former warehouses of the neighbourhood. UpCycle repurposes almost all of the original 1972 warehouse building.

The building becomes energy efficient by using Kingspan Karrier Panel under this skin, insulating the building envelope. The ethos of the building seeks to highlight its industrial past, and even includes a repurposed train car which serves as a front porch lounge equipped with seating, WiFi and music.

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Spinologics Montreal

Spinologics, a Canadian company based in Montreal, is all about people. Founded by three orthopedic surgeons dedicated to improving people’s lives through the development of surgical tools and techniques, they brought this philosophy of people first with them when designing the interior of their corporate offices. Not a large area but one filled with dynamic activity, teamwork, visual interaction, and the need for acoustical privacy. A Crystal wall system from Moderco was the perfect solution. The Moderco distributor, Cometal, had to modify a confined existing space for the wall and a storage area. Portions of the existing permanent walls were demolished; a custom designed track system was designed & installed on a new structural support system & the permanent wall were acoustically insulated and painted, all with minimal disruption to Spinologics operations. The result is an extremely happy & satisfied customer. Projects do not have to be large to be of significance. The capabilities of our distribution are far more than just operable walls. The desire of both Moderco and Cometal in all projects is to have a satisfied customer. We believe we have succeeded.

 

Product : Crystal Glass STC 44 Acoustical Wall System

Architect : A custom design project from Cometal & Moderco.

Chatham Residence

“Minimal Sliding Glass Walls Frame the Sea in this Coastal Gem

The sparkling aquamarine waters of the North Atlantic Ocean can be seen from nearly every room of this Chatham coast residence. The Cape Cod style gem is surrounded by sand dunes and strategically placed coastal grasses to enhance its surrounding landscape and the area’s conservational regulations. For Aaron Polhemus, owner and CEO of architecture and construction firm, Polhemus Savery DaSilva, the site offered more than enough potential for a new and improved custom home to be immediately put on the market. The existing property, a small house with a garage, was torn down and built anew to take advantage of the picturesque location with contemporary solutions like floor-to-ceiling minimal sliding glass walls.”

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6 Great Marlborough Street

6 Great Marlborough Street forms part of Manchester’s rich industrial heritage. The five-story, red-brick building was once part of the city’s thriving textile industry and sits within Little Ireland, the earliest area of Irish settlement within Manchester. Sheppard Robson’s sensitive restoration plans make a feature of the historic building fabric, exposing the original brickwork and beams internally, whilst incorporating more contemporary elements such as building services and modern windows.

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Centerview Elementary School

  • Acoustically tested to meet up to unit STC 34 with sill options designed specifically for interior applications
  • Can be configured with segmented curves and 90° – 135° open corners
  • Panels can fold 180° and stack parallel to the opening against the wall

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MIAMI BEACH CITY HALL PARKING GARAGE

The Vision

This seven-story City Hall Parking Garage in Miami Beach, Florida was completed in 2009 as the final addition to the city’s Civic Center Campus. It poses a stunning architectural statement while serving as a gateway to the city’s historic Art Deco district. The 300,000 square foot facility includes 38,550 square feet of office space and connects to the city hall administration building via a pedestrian bridge. The garage also provides event parking for the nearby Miami Beach Convention Center and Lincoln Road Mall commercial center.