While known for smooth finishes and crisp lines, Metal Composite Material (MCM) can also be rolled, folded, and bent into dynamic shapes or rounded into a custom radius.
Photo Courtesy of MCA and MCM Alliance member: 3A Composites
Design by FSB Architects + Engineers
Stunning: black and white perforated panels that echo the rhythm of the glass façade, cast a bold, contemporary identity for the Illinois EPA’s new home, which was once a vacant Sears building. The glass panels match the perforated metal design. Everything on the project stands out, grabbing your attention.
See the Case Study from MCA Member: Accurate Perforating >
Design by 4240 Architecture
At the new 30-story McMaster Graduate Residence Tower in Hamilton, Ontario, Diamond Schmitt architects crafted 550 single-skin metal wall panels to create a dynamic aesthetic and revitalize the downtown core.
Inspired by the chevron floor plate façade design on the neighboring Hamilton City Hall, the angular, dimensional cladding begins at the podium level and extends vertically across all façades.
Winning a MCA 2025 Design Award in the Single-Skin Metal Wall Panel category, Judge Kevin Wagner, AIA, associate principal at Substance Architecture in Des Moines, remarked, “The folds of the metal, it’s really captivating—just thinking about what it took to fabricate because every piece is custom. It’s this totally unique, sculptural piece of art.”
“The closer you get, the more refined it gets,” observed Judge Rick Schneider, FAIA LEED, founder, ISTUDIO Architects, Washington, D.C. “There’s one gesture repeated at different scales in different materials.”
“Some of the paneling is perforated, so it’s even more intricate,” added Judge Dan Rodriguez, principal founder at Rodriguez Romero Design and Architecture in Los Angeles. “You almost couldn’t use any other cladding because of how intricate it was.”
To achieve the architect’s vision for the metal façade, PPG Duranar Sunstorm Aluminum Plate panels were selected. For fabricator Sobotec, the aluminum panels were an ideal material to create the varying geometric shapes comprising the modern, finned design. The fabricated panels can also be individually removed and repaired on a panel-by-panel basis, allowing any scrapes or dings to easily be fixed in the long term.
Duranar Sunstorm is a mica-effect, two-coat system which adds pearlescent mica flake to the color layer to create a metalescent look. The long-lasting, weather-resistant, aesthetic finish is achieved without aluminum flake or a third clear coat layer.
The angled panels, perforated metal and curtain wall — combined with an expansive public plaza — engage the surrounding community. A rooftop terrace with panoramic urban views, an integrated cycling path system and convenient access to public transit further enhance the student experience. Building amenities include a fitness center, outdoor rooftop running track, movie room, study spaces, music room, games room and a rooftop BBQ area.
The building is tracking LEED Gold and features a high-performance building envelope and operable windows for individualized comfort. The extensive green roof offset stormwater, reduces the heat island effect and supports biodiversity.
The high-rise houses 600 graduate students and their families and contributes to a vibrant, inclusive campus culture that enriches community life.
In sum, Wagner concluded, “The McMaster University tower is above and beyond. It deserves all the recognition.”
MCA has announced the 2025 MCA Design Award Winners!
See all the 1st and 2nd place winners >
Congratulations to the MCA Members: ATAS International, Inc., Sheet Metal Supply LTD, Norbec Architectural Inc., MillerClapperton, Nucor Insulated Panel Group, East Coast Metal Systems, Inc., PAC-CLAD | Petersen, Sobotec Ltd., PPG Industrial Coatings
Thank you to these outstanding architects: SNOHETTA ARCHITECTURE DESIGN PLA, Gensler, CGL ARCHITECTS, HLW, Foster + Partners, Studio 26 Design Collaborative, LLC, JLG Architects
Hatch Design Architecture chose a red steel standing seam roof from Metal Sales to emulate the form of a large bird spreading its wings at the Global Raptor Education Center addition to the World Center for Birds of Prey site in Boise, Idaho. Photo courtesy of The Peregrine Fund
Meeting key performance, durability and maintenance goals, metal proved to be the ideal material for the roofing, soffit and ceiling of the Peregrine Fund’s new Global Raptor Education Center addition to the World Center for Birds of Prey site in Boise, Idaho.
In addition to blending into the rural, woodsy environment, Hatch Design Architecture designed the standing seam roof to match the profile of a large bird spreading its wings.
“The project was designed to relate contextually to the campus as a whole, as well as the natural environment and specially the world of birds of prey education and conservation,” explains Jeff Hatch, AIA, LEED AP, principal at Hatch Design, Boise. “The roof line… ceiling and soffit were designed to emulate the spread wings of a bird of prey.”
Covering the 2,108 square-foot building, 3,700 square feet of 24-gauge steel standing seam roof system from Metal Sales Manufacturing Corp. was specified in Colonial Red. The single-component roofing system panels are applied directly over the steel purlins and the smooth exterior steel facings are coated with the PVDF color finish.
The Idaho Power Flight Lab at the World Center for Birds of Prey was designed with a number of metal systems including PBR roofing and wall panels from MBCI. Photo courtesy of The Peregrine Fund
Moving past the metal soffits, the metal theme continues to the interior where 6-inch tongue and groove aluminum panels in light cherry are installed. The building houses a lobby, reception space, storage space, offices and restrooms. In addition, a retail space is covered with 4-inch-wide flat aluminum panels in the same light cherry color.
“Metal was selected for the ceiling and soffit for an effortless transition from interior to exterior space so the ceiling and roof soar over the visitors,” reports Hatch. “The metal ceiling adds a warmness to the space, and an engaging ceiling for the retail area. The retail area used metal to maintain a modern, contemporary look, while not having to worry about the maintenance and warping that can occur with using wood.”
Sensitive to peoples’ tendency to be intimidated by the large birds of prey, the Center has been designed to ignite visitors’ sense of wonder, curiosity and fascination with flight. Hatch’s thoughtful application of form, material and space making through the application of metal helps promote education and recruit folks to help support birds of prey conservation.
The site is one of the most densely populated raptor regions in the world and attracts more than 50,000+ visitors coming to experience hawks, falcons, owls and other raptors through live demonstrations and exhibits.
Metal was also selected for the previously built Idaho Power Flight Lab at the World Center.
On the roof and walls, Hatch selected MBCI 24-gauge steel PBR panels in Tan and Burnished. Installed directly over the purlins, the metal panels lend a high level of durability and versatility.
The building also features a steel gate, stainless steel mesh, 18-gauge steel wall and roof framing, tube steel, and red-painted HSS (hollow structural sections) steel columns and beams.
“Exterior metal framing, metal siding and interior exposed metal framing come together to create a unique structure,” says Hatch. “Metal creates fortitude against exposure to the elements, with stainless steel mesh that allows the hawks to feel nature’s breeze and see the open skies.”
Also on the campus is a condor breeding barn for endangered California condors covered with MBCI 24-gauge steel PBR metal wall panels in White and Koko Brown. Special doors and windows give access to nests and private viewing areas for research.
The extensive use of metal for these facilities also provides flexibility for future expansion and contributes to fire safety and reduced insurance premiums.
The Bladensburg Branch Library in Maryland selected metal to establish a nautical theme that honors the local community’s maritime history. This choice also enabled the library to become the first building in the area to achieve LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, a prestigious recognition of its environmentally friendly design. See the Case Study from MCA Member: East Coast Metal Systems > https://ow.ly/49cK50VnNCS Designed by Gant Brunnett Architects,Inc. #metalconstruction
When you build with metal, every day is Earth Day. Metal creates a more sustainable planet in so many ways. Metal buildings are more durable, have improved insulation, and can be recycled at the end of a building’s life. Learn more about the environmental benefits of metal > https://ow.ly/POkA50VnNAu #metalconstruction
The striking 3D metal façade at the Stamford Train Station showcases the perfect blend of modern architectural innovation and the versatility of metal. This dynamic cladding enhances both aesthetics and functionality, offering a bold, contemporary look while ensuring durability and efficiency. The sleek metal panels not only create a visually captivating design but also contribute to a streamlined construction process and long-lasting resilience.
Learn more about this project from Sherwin-Williams Coil Coatings > https://blog.metalconstruction.org/2025/02/07/curved-metal-perforated-cladding-illuminates-stamford-stations-parking-garage-and-pedestrian-bridge/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=A%20sculpted%2C%20wavy%203D%20metal%20fa%C3%A7ade%20adorns%20the%20new%20parking%20garage&utm_campaign=%5BFINAL%5D%20Newsletter%20-%20February%202025
#metalconstruction
For the Field House at Pompano Beach’s Youth Sports Complex in Florida, Brooks+Scarpa was seeking a flexible, durable and cost-effective material to craft the underside of the building’s front porch.
Constructed as a sloped concrete shell, the architects selected a metal lattice to wrap around the porch of the building. Painted yellow, the covered area connects the glass curtainwall entrance and the exterior concrete shell. Daylighting filters through the porch and the natural breeze is enhanced by fans hanging from the yellow ceiling.
The porch helps shade the building, mitigating solar heat gain and reducing HVAC costs.
The design as made from Pac-Clad Precision Series aluminum box rib panels and a steel composite deck with aluminum tubes and plates.
The yellow theme continues inside, on the ceiling of the porch overhang and some of the interior structure’s facades, which are both clad in corrugated metal panels. The yellow metal lattice and corrugated metal panels combine to create what’s been described as a “playful and sculptural” design.
The aluminum gave the designers the ability to shape the undulating pattern that connects with the ground and is suspended above in different sections of the north elevation, creating a curtain-shaped entry from the concrete overhang to the porch area. The metal system also provides the durability and low maintenance features the complex was seeking.
Small metal tabs are connected to the poles of the lattice to form the letters “YSC”. Used as a branding element, the sign welcomes visitors and can be viewed from 110th Street, just north of Fort Lauderdale.
A concrete bench wraps around the lattice, providing athletes and visitors a place to escape the sun. in this outdoor living room.
The shape of the board-formed concrete roof slopes down towards a central point. Here rainwater is directed by gutters where it is sent to an adjacent rain garden of glass, rocks and shrubs. The architects’ intent was making a “spectacle of rainfall” to allow visitors to observe the channeling of the rainfall.
Once the rain reaches the garden, whatever is not absorbed by the ground is filtered back into an aquifer.
The YSC houses 10 acres of soccer, football and lacrosse fields built to accommodate large-scale sports events and tournaments with up to a 1000 people, while the new 4,100-square-foot Field House houses concessions, offices, restrooms and equipment storage.
Winner of a 2024 AIA California Design Award, the project “earned points” for its selection of materials, including metal.
“The choice of locally sourced materials not only supports the regional economy but also lowers transportation expenses. By aligning cost-saving measures with thoughtful design decisions, this field house demonstrates that economic efficiency need not come at the expense of quality or design integrity,” stated the jury.
Having outgrown its previous facility, the Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine tasked Bruner/Cott Architects with designing a playful, colorful façade to celebrate the heritage and natural landscape of Thompson’s Point and engage the riverfront.
In creating the building form, the architects studied the Point’s historic brick structures to reproduce the proportions, rhythm and fenestration pattern in the design.
Located along the Fore River, west of downtown Portland, steel cross-bracing references the site’s industrial and shipping heritage. The braces are exposed in the main gathering and exhibit spaces and provide seismic force resistance.
A proportion of the enclosure is glass curtainwall with the majority of the cladding made of aluminum tiles.
“Comprised of painted metal shingles, the exterior boasts a playful, bold pattern inspired by the patterns of Maine’s regional ecosystem,” says Jason Forney, FAIA, partner and principal at Bruner/Cott Architects. The tiles are predominantly Cityscape and Weathered Zinc, with strategical pops of Slate Blue Steel and Stone White.
The tiles appear to shift from cream to mottled grays, with splashes of sea/sky-blue.
“The overall exterior design expression was inspired by patterns found in nature: ripples on the water, wings of a butterfly, scales of a fish and bark on a tree,” explains Forney.
Coated in a 1-mil-thick fluropolymer (PVDF) two coat system with a 0.2-mil primer and 0.8-mil Kynar 500 (70%) solid color coat, the aluminum tiles measure 7 1/4-inch by 6 3/16- inch. A two-man crew installed all the metal shingles at a rate of approximately 500 tiles per day.
Metal is also featured in the entrance vestibule in the form of a 4-mm-thick ALUCOBOND PLUS metal composite material (MCM) with a fire-retardant core in Tuscan Sun.
The primary structural system is steel post and beam, with metal stairs and railings appearing through the museum.
Meeting the museum’s goal of expanding its programming and services, the 30,000-square-foot building includes a 100-seat theater, exhibits, classroom and maker space, meeting rooms and offices. The site also features an outdoor play area adjacent to the waterfront.
Situated on the site is a former railway repair yard, an interesting aspect of the project was working with the existing fill soil. Because removing the soil and placing it with structural soil would have been cost prohibitive, the decision was made to preload the compact soil.
Other sustainable design strategies include a well-insulated enclosure, low-wattage LED lighting, a variable refrigeration flow system for heating and cooling, and a radiant floor in the main lobby.
Featuring a variety of exhibits, performances and activities like water play, crafts and play acting, the museum is drawing locals and tourists alike.
