Photo: Matt Johnson, Winquist Photography, Courtesy of Extech
Located along the Colorado River in Bullhead City, Ariz., the new Anderson Auto Group Fieldhouse, encompasses 126,000 square feet with regulation football and soccer fields, classrooms and space for up to 8,000 people. When not in use by the Colorado River Union High School District’s River Valley High School Dust Devils and Mohave High School T-Birds, the fieldhouse is available for other athletic, academic, community and commercial uses.
The fieldhouse, designed by Orcutt Winslow and constructed by Fleming West LLC, features EXTECH/Exterior Technologies Inc.’s LIGHTWALL 3440 interlocking wall system installed by Systems Contractors Inc. The resulting translucent building envelope maximizes natural lighting during the day and creates a soft glowing appearance when lit from the inside at night. High light levels, solar control and durability were equally important attributes for the project.
In a statement about the project, architecture firm Orcutt | Winslow explains, “The exterior design for this facility drew on the natural and human history of place. This history is reflected in the design through the irregular textures created by the metal panel cladding that resembles the stratification seen in the surrounding mountains and the gem-like polycarbonate panels that bring in natural daylight allude to the hidden pockets of precious metals deep below the surface of the earth.”
Achieving the architectural aesthetic and exterior performance requirements, EXTECH fabricated its standard LIGHTWALL 3440 system with highly insulating, 40-mm cellular polycarbonate glazing (CPG) with extruded aluminum framing. “Offering a beautiful, durable and economical solution for building envelopes, LIGHTWALL 3440 is our most popular product,” says Brian Hunger, EXTECH’s national accounts manager.
EXTECH provided the CPG in an opal color panel with an exterior surface that blocks infrared and ultraviolet waves. The IR- and UV-blocking CPG material helps control unwanted solar heat gain, reduce demand on the HVAC system and save on electric lighting costs, while ensuring more comfortable interior temperatures for both athletes and spectators. LIGHTWALL 3440 also meets demanding performance specifications, including high wind loads, impact resistance, fire rating, thermal and structural performance, air infiltration and water penetration.
