Insulated metal panels achieve high-tech design aesthetics

Equipped with the latest tools and technology available, the innovative medical practice known as Urology of Virginia has a long history of diagnosing and treating all urological conditions with the highest quality of care. Over the years, this commitment has resulted in a larger number of patients, requiring the practice to expand their Virginia Beach facilities to service a growing community. The expansion includes a three-story, 44,000 square foot medical office building that features an imaging center with an MRI and CT scanner on the first floor, an ambulatory surgery center on the second floor and space for a cancer clinic with twelve exam rooms on the third floor. The new facility is expected to increase the number of jobs within the community, including 32 physicians and more than 200 other staff members who can work together to provide patients the most effective treatments and therapies.

The Design Challenge

When designing the new building, the architect, PF&A Design, was challenged to create a high-tech aesthetic concept rather than continuing the traditional use of brick façades found on the existing structure. At the same time, the architects needed to maximize the land available to accommodate the addition of the new building. To avoid wasting space and maximize the footprint of the facility, the new building is placed only about 2 inches from the existing one. This required PF&A to work closely with the local code officials to ensure all codes and regulations related to fire separation and area requirements were satisfied so as to avoid any construction delays.

The Solution

After reviewing the options, the architects selected metal as the primary exterior building material since they were able to readily provide a more modern and sleek façade appearance. And since fire safety was of great importance, the architect decided to utilize insulated metal panels (IMPs) as they more effectively help slow the spread of flame and smoke when compared to non-insulated metal panels. In addition, they found that IMPs offered many advantages over traditional building envelope materials. In particular, the IMPs provided the highest standard of quality and energy efficiency for the new structure which improved the overall building performance. They also include sustainability features which satisfy LEED requirements.

The Design Specifics

In the final façade design, PF&A Design incorporated 12,5000 square feet of a combination of MBCI’s deeply corrugated 7.2 Insul-Rib™ Insulated Metal Panels with smooth CF Architectural Horizontal insulated metal panels, all in 22-gauge Signature® 300 Silver Metallic. The 7.2 Insul-Rib™ insulated panel combines a rib panel design with a premier polyurethane foam core that delivers superior insulation. The CF Architectural Horizontal feature stucco-embossed interiors and exteriors that contrast and complement the ribbed panels very nicely. The supremely flexible CF Architectural Horizontal insulated metal panels were also positioned with patterns aligned with the windows on the two floors below to provide enhanced symmetry and cohesion. The flat appearance of this panel provided flexibility that enabled the corners to continuously wrap around the building.

Conclusion

Without the versatility and high performance of the IMPs used on this project, an alternative might have been selected that would have proven to be less functional and less aesthetically pleasing. To find out more about how to successfully incorporate IMPs into a building design that you are engaged in, contact your local MBCI representative to get more information. Learn more about this project here and sign up for our newsletter to subscribe to our blog.