A palette of building materials, including gray and metallic metal panels and bright yellow rolling doors, draws attention to a mixed-use development off State Route 410. At the same time, the metal building materials met project goals for durability and minimal maintenance.
The development comprises a four-story mixed-use building with 10 commercial tenant spaces at the first floor, including DaVita Inc. and more than 600 self-storage spaces operated by Best Storage NW on upper floors, as well as some first-floor spaces.
Additionally, there are eight single-story self-storage buildings with 125 units at the rear of the development. The mixed-use building contains 8,672 m2 (93,340 sf), and the eight outbuildings have 2,447 m2 (26,340 sf).
The first floor of the mixed-use building is clad in concrete tilt panels with a board-form finish. The second, third, and fourth floors are clad with metal wall panels, which impart a light and contemporary aesthetic.
Hui Tian, AIA, MAIBC, LEED AP, principal at Studio19 Architects, says, “Given the long and narrow shape of the site and the project’s programming requirements, the building design employs various profiled and colored metal panels, along with window shadow boxes with metal frames, to mitigate the perceived massing. This design approach introduces modulation and architectural interest to the elongated structure. The presence of bold-colored metal overhead doors for the mini storage units, visible through the glass window wall systems at both corners, renders vibrancy and lightness to the overall composition.”
The central mass of the mixed-use building is covered in flat metal siding finished in a dark grey shade. The front and side sections of the building feature vertically oriented, corrugated metal siding in a silver metallic finish, adding visual interest and texture. Vibrant pops of yellow are introduced with rolling metal doors behind glass window walls on both sides of the front facade and yellow accents on windows at the back and sides of the building.
On walls, Primal Forge LLC vertically installed corrugated, exposed fastener metal panels in metallic zinc. Primal Forge also horizontally installed 305 mm (12 in.) wide, concealed fastener metal wall panels in two colors: charcoal gray and zinc. At soffits, Primal Forge installed concealed fastener metal panels in metallic zinc.
“The diverse range of textures, profiles, and hues of the metal panels makes it an ideal material choice to create a dynamic and visually captivating building while still maintaining the industrial character of a storage structure,” Tian says. “The metal panels on the upper three levels contribute to the building’s sense of lightness and solidity, forming a harmonious contrast with the concrete tilt panels employed on the ground floor. Additionally, the factory-finished metal panels require minimal maintenance, making them well-suited for this project’s long-term durability and aesthetics.”
General contractor: HC Homes Inc., Auburn, Wash.
Architect: Studio19 Architects, Seattle, studio19architects.com
Installer: Primal Forge LLC, Tenino, Wash., primalforgeolympia.com
Metal soffit/wall panels: Berridge Manufacturing Co., San Antonio, berridge.com
