Metal may be the material of choice for educational buildings, but a brand-new satellite campus in rural Arizona demonstrates that metal’s potential extends beyond durability, being low-maintenance, and blends design flexibility with artistry and cultural identity.
Located on the outskirts of Maricopa, AZ, and planned for significant growth in the next 20 years, CAC’s new campus, which so far comprises three academic buildings, is “conceptually rooted in its historic agricultural roots and native American legacy,” says Mark Krantz, AIA, design principal with the Smith-GroupJJR, Phoenix, AZ. “Structures are conceived as a series of honest, spare, and no-maintenance ‘academic sheds,’” he states.
A unique mix of naturally oxidizing Corten siding panels and metal standing- seam roof panels painted a faux-rust hue were used to achieve the agrarian vision.
To ensure the unique appearance, Sherwin-Williams Fluropon coating in Cor-Ten AZP was chosen to adorn the 76,000 square-foot facility. This coating achieves the look of Cor-Ten Steel through a two-step process using a print effect Floropon coating. First, a colored base coat is adorned to paneling followed by ink that is applied in a pattern to create the unique effect. The Fluropon coating, containing 70% PVDF resins, provides the strongest protection against weathering, aging, and pollution and exceptional color retention to preserve the beautiful aesthetic of the facility for years to come.
“When you think about the use of different materials — 14-gauge A606 Type 4 Cor-Ten steel sheets that were hand-brake bent into custom sizes and, on the roof, 90,000 sq ft of 22-gage, 18-in. wide Magna-Loc painted steel standing-seam roof panels with Sherwin-Williams coil coating — that was very creative,” says Christian Nolte, vice president, marketing and sales, Metal Sales Manufacturing Corp., Louisville, KY. “It provides two different solutions that give you a roofing-siding system that works together and yet performs very differently. It’s really a powerful commentary on the creative use of metal. New technologies available in the market today allowed us to create this visual outcome.”
The choice to use two types of metal in this project provides two different solutions that give you a roofing-siding system that works together and yet performs very differently. It’s really a powerful commentary on the creative use of metal. New technologies available in the market today allowed us to create this visual outcome.
Kratz adds, “Building a campus in an alfalfa field right next to farms and barns, there is a certain level of respect that you have for that context, and I think you have to reflect that in the decisions you make.” The Cor-Ten panels were “a natural and obvious reflection of the campus’s rural setting.”
Sustainability
The use of metal panels was one among many of this projects’ s sustainable elements. The panels themselves require minimal maintenance; lasting for 45 years or more; are recyclable at the end of their useful life; and serve as an ideal substrate for alternative energies, such as solar panels, wind energy, and rainwater catchment.
“The design drivers of the shed and the relationship to the desert all contribute to the project’s sustainability. The larger roof projects the buildings and occupants form the harsh southern sun,” Krantz adds. “The materials are rustic, natural, low maintenance, recycled, and the landscaping is native.”
