California instructional facility locks down Metl-Span solution for performance, efficiency

In California, stringent codes require much of a new building to be fully enclosed before construction can commence on the interior. 

In the case of the Solano County SB 1022 Rourk Vocational Training Center, that was just one of the mandates. 

Located at the sheriff’s campus in Fairfield, the $25.7 million facility was being constructed as a place to provide training and instruction to prison inmates so they could more readily make the transition back to society once they were released. 

It also meant all exterior details had to be inspected by the design team – including the products used – to ensure inmates could find nothing to use as a weapon against an officer or another inmate.

The solution: HPCI Barrier Wall Panels from Metl-Span. 

Getting Schooled in Efficiency, Sustainability

The project involved the design and construction of two buildings – a classroom and training center (nearly 12,000 square feet), and a maintenance building (nearly 33,000 square feet). 

“A quick enclosure was essential to getting other trades in the building and working,” said Ethan Law, lead estimator and project manager at QEC. “This system seals up the building. It’s an air, water, thermal and vapor barrier in a single component, so it’s a quicker installation while providing the project’s required R-value.”

Because of its design, the HPCI Barrier insulated metal wall panel introduces new standards in cost savings, design integrity and sustainability. Easily and quickly installed in a single step, the HPCI Barrier eliminates the need for multiple work crews, minimizing construction debris and reducing the likelihood of improper installation.

For the classroom, more than 7,000 square feet of HPCI Barrier panels served as the backing for a low-rise brick façade and then a horizontal single-skin metal panel from Garco Building Systems. For the maintenance building, contractors installed a single-skin metal panel vertically on more than 19,000 square feet of HPCI panels. 

From the Inside Out

In the initial planning phases, conventional construction was considered. To meet LEED certification requirements and do so economically, metal panels from Garco Building Systems and the HPCI panels from Metl-Span proved to be the right solution.

“The metal wall system allowed us to add batt insulation required to meet the R-value we were hoping to achieve,” said Kevin Hallock, senior architect at Kitchell CEM. “It was a very successful project.”

 

To the Head of the Class

The facility opened in 2019 and has nearly 10,000 square feet of classroom space, with two of the seven classrooms dedicated to computer training and life sciences. More than 35,000 square feet of the facility serves as the home for training in pre-apprenticeship programs in professions such as automotive, maintenance, welding, carpentry and more. 

In addition to achieving LEED certification, the Solano County Vocational Training Center also earned top honors from the Metal Building Contractors & Erectors Association (MBCEA) in the Educational and Recreational category.