Morin Corp., a Kingspan Group company, supplied approximately 20,000 square feet of MR-36S stainless steel perforated screened wall panels for a parking deck at Wake Technical Community College North Campus, completed in July 2012.
Tzu Chen, AIA, project designer at BBH Design, specified screened wall panels to help achieve the aesthetic goal, which was for the building to have a look that would contrast with its surroundings-a wooded area at the end of campus-while reflecting the beauty of the natural habitat and staying under budget.
Chen says the first priority was to stay within the project budget. “Those panels were going to have to cover a lot of area, so we were trying to keep the cost down,” he says.
The parking deck is located in a natural environment with forest on one side, Chen says. “The MR-36S contrasted the environment, but reflected the environment,” he notes. “When the sky changes, it’s reflected in the panels.”
Daniel Davenport, regional sales manager at Morin, says they produced two different perforation patterns for the screen walls. “One was large and the other smaller to best show a contrast between the panels,” he says. “And because the panels are stainless steel, they provide a life cycle cost benefit.”
In the parking deck project, four panels formed each screen, measuring 12 by 48 feet. About three-fourths of the screen wall had perforations allowing for 40 percent open area, and most of the remaining screen wall was perforated to allow for 10 percent open area.
“The biggest thing is that the panels were able to meet the structural requirements,” Davenport says.
Architect: BBH Design, Raleigh Installer: Rodriguez Glass, Durham, N.C.
Metal wall panels: Morin Corp., a Kingspan Group company, Bristol, Conn., www.morincorp.com
