Photo: Adam Reynolds
A two-story, 3,140-square-foot addition was connected to a new, 9,600-square-foot, pole-framed, metal-clad section to create a building for dual-occupancy. Two organizations, Tovey-Perry Co., a general contractor, and The Workshop, a coworking space for startup businesses and others owned and managed by Tovey-Perry, occupy the new building.
Importantly, the building is in an area with many pre-engineered metal buildings and pole barns. Louis Joyner Architect LLC designed it to fit in with the surrounding architecture and, concurrently, differentiate from other buildings. The firm designed the exterior with horizontally oriented, corrugated metal wall panels with a zinc coating, sunshades of aluminum bar grating and vertically oriented, thermally modified wood cladding.
Louis Joyner, AIA, principal at Louis Joyner Architect, says, “In this context, using metal siding and awnings made perfect sense. The material fits in beautifully with the neighborhood and demonstrates that this building, too, is practical, efficient and useful. By using this common material in a way that is just a little uncommon, the building stands out all the more.”
Tovey-Perry installed 6,200 square feet of Dimensional Metals Inc.’s HWPA16 horizontal wall panels in Weathered Zinc.
The metals’ properties set the building apart from surrounding architecture, Joyner says. “The profile is installed with its shallow ribs running horizontally, setting up strong shadow lines that are visible all day. In addition, the Weathered Zinc coating is a soft, modest gray that, because it is metallic, is also quite vibrant and changes with the light throughout the day. It shows that good design can come from modest materials through its handsome color and crisp shadow lines.”
Furthermore, the gray metal siding contrasts with the thermally modified wood cladding accents. “In a similar way, bar grating, familiar in its use as an industrial walkway, is appropriated for the sunshades,” Joyner says. “This light, strong, straight, inexpensive and eminently practical material is used here to shade the windows. It works beautifully, cutting the glare and heat. Additionally, it practically shimmers in the light, changing throughout the day and casting dappled shadows on the façade and pavement.”
For sunshades on the south and west side of the building, Tovey-Perry fabricated tubular aluminum frames that support McNICHOLS Co.’s GAL series grating.
The building is designed to meet goals of both its occupants, Joyner says. “Tovey-Perry, who also built the building, wanted a structure that was a statement, expressing their commitment to quality craftsmanship and good design in their buildings. It does this through bold massing, inventive use of materials, and carefully selected furnishings and interior finishes. At the same time, construction cost and long-term maintenance were paramount considerations.”
The building serves The Workshop by combining coworking facilities typically found, such as desk space and conferencing, with large flexible bays that can be anything from a fabrication shop or artist’s studio to a catering kitchen.
