Magnificent Metal Monday – Steel Fabrication Pushed to New Heights with Canadian Museum Renovation Project

Photo credit: Elliott Lewis Photography

Designed by Studio Libeskind, the extension to the Royal Ontario Museum, located in downtown Toronto, truly represents the versatility of how the use of metal can bring art and design to life. Now almost five years now since the extension opened, the ROM is considered the largest Museum in Canada and attracts more than a million visitors a year. It’s new name “Michael Lee-Chin Crystal,” is derived from the building’s five intersecting metal-clad volumes, reminiscent of crystals were inspired by the crystalline forms in the Museum’s mineralogy galleries.

METALCONLive! Offers Predictions for 2023 and Beyond

Industry Experts Agree Metal is Well Positioned for 2023 and Beyond

In the first METALCONLive! of the new year, Paul Deffenbaugh, editorial director of Modern Trade Communications, led a discussion with leading industry experts about the state of the metal construction industry and what we can expect this year. According to Jeff Henry, MBA, CAE, executive director of the Metal Construction Association, “The industry is strong, but we still face challenges in 2023.” From an architects standpoint, Brent Schipper, AIA, LEED AP, founding principal of ASK Studio, is not feeling quite as optimistic as they are starting to see their backlogs starting to drop, but feels “the pace of construction in 2023 will become the most critical priority.” Renee Ramsey, director of the Metal Roofing Alliance, shared data from their 2021 study saying, “We saw a 17% market share in the residential reroof market, which is a primary audience for metal roofing. While not a huge increase, we are happy to see it continue to move in an upward pace.”

Brent Schipper, AIA, LEED AP, founding principal, ASK Studio\

Jeff Henry, MBA, CAE, Executive Director, Metal Construction Association

Renee Ramey, Executive Director, Metal Roofing Alliance

2023 State of the Metal Construction Industry LIVE Tomorrow at 1:00 PM – RESERVE YOUR SEAT

In less than 24 hours, join us for the first METALCONLive! of the year!

Get answers to these burning questions about the year ahead —

• Will the packed production schedules continue?
• Are supply chain challenges finally fading?
• What design trends will your clients be demanding and which ones are destined to be yesterday’s news?

Reserve your “seat” now for tomorrow’s METALCONLive! at 1pm EST. Our panel of experts representing every corner of the metal construction industry will share their observations, thoughts, and opinions on where we are now and where we’ll be this time next year.

Magnificent Metal Monday – World-Class Projects on Saadiyat Island Aim for Culture and Calm

On this day of observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his dream of living in a world of peace among all beings, we travel to Saadiyat Island, a 10 square mile island which aims to bring “culture and calm” together, perhaps just a place Dr. King envisioned in his speech “I Have a Dream.” Lying approximately 10 miles from the center of Abu Dhabi, in addition to its white sandy beaches, it is fast becoming a world-renown international cultural destination. With two projects already open, and four under construction, here is a look at the cultural assets all brimming with the use of metal that truly showcases the union of art and form.

Industry Experts Will Peer into the 2023 Crystal Ball

In just one week, join us for the first METALCONLive! of the year, next Wednesday, 1/18, LIVE at 1pm EST for “The 2023 State of the Metal Construction Industry” presented by METALCONLive! and Metal Construction News. REGISTER NOW!

Do you want answers to these burning questions about the year ahead?

• Will the packed production schedules continue?
• Are supply chain challenges finally fading?
• What design trends will your clients be demanding and which ones are destined to be yesterday’s news?

If you answered yes to any of them, then reserve your “seat” today for next week’s METALCONLive! on January 18 at 1pm EST. Our panel of experts representing every corner of the metal construction industry will share their observations, thoughts, and opinions on where we are now and where we’ll be this time next year.

METALCON 2023 Call for Presentations is OPEN

As METALCON 2023 returns to Las Vegas this year, we invite you to take “center stage” in our nation’s “City of Lights.” METALCON’s Call for Presentations is now open and we are seeking individuals who want to educate, engage, inspire and present material in ways that will enhance the attendees’ experience. We are looking for topics that address real-world, metal-related opportunities and challenges toward a variety of disciplines of the metal construction community with a special interest in technical aspects, building codes, case studies, and sustainability.

NEW FOR 2023: All topics submitted will be considered for BOTH in-person education at METALCON 2023 AND for our year-round METALCON Live! programming.

Happy New Year!

As we close out 2022 and welcome in this New Year, we want to take a moment to thank the nearly 5,000 visitors to our METALCON Blog this past year from all corners of the world including the U.S., Canada, Ireland, India, UK, Philippines, Australia, Germany, France, and Mexico! The METALCON team is already working hard to continue to provide worthwhile and relevant content to help the metal construction industry navigate and be prosperous in 2023! Exciting METALCON announcements are coming soon including:

Outlook for Construction in 2023

According to Construction Dive, “The industry will continue to face labor shortages, high materials costs and other headwinds, but infrastructure will be a bright spot.” Top construction economists say much like in 2022, signals are mixed. In a recent article, they took a look at five key indicators and what they suggest for contractors in the year ahead.

ATAS Announces 2023 Metal Wall Panel Installation Seminar Dates

Photo credit: ATAS International

To meet the demand of the growing metal wall cladding sector in the design and construction of both residential and commercial buildings, beginning in the new year, ATAS International will offer installation training in three of their manufacturing locations. The training is designed to assist contractors who may not be familiar with installing single skin metal wall panels and be taught by industry experts with many years of experience working with metal wall cladding.

Magnificent Metal Monday – MCN 2022 Project Excellence Awards

As announced earlier this month by Metal Construction News, the Grand Award winner in their 2022 Project Excellence Awards is none other than a parking structure! Chosen for its innovative use of metal, the top honor goes to the City of Hope Northeast Parking Structure, Duarte, Calif. Calling it “the most innovative use of metal we’ve seen of all the entries,” the MCN Award Judges selected it saying this project “took something that was so mundane and turned it into a civic presence.” A clear testament to the versatility of metal in the design and building process.

Self Storage Boom Means Greater Demand for Metal Buildings

Photo courtesy of Metl-Span

In a recent article, Building Design + Construction reports, “Nearly 60% of the country’s top 100 metros are building storage units at a higher rate than the national average.” In September, Metal Construction News featured the trend saying, “Over the last five years, there has been 255.5 million square feet of storage space built, equivalent to 16% of the total inventory. With one in three Americans using self storage units, the self storage industry is quite robust.” And with the vast majority of these storage buildings being made from steel, the metal industry has also seen steady growth in its demand for pre-engineered structures, insulated metal panels and automated technology for unmanned storage projects.

Magnificent Metal Monday – MRA Best Residential Metal Roofing 3rd Quarter Honors Two Projects

Since the start of its Best Residential Metal Roofing Project competition began, the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) has selected a winner and a runner-up winner for the third quarter of 2022. Top honor goes to a new home construction project located in Kennewick, Washington, completed by C&C Roofing out of Hermiston, Oregon, featuring a beautiful mechanical seamed metal roof in a rich dark gray color that is the crowning touch on a stately 7,000 square-foot home.

MetalCoffeeShop Brings Unique LIVE Experience to METALCON 2022

Since MetalCoffeeShop (MCS) came on the scene 6 months ago, it has positioned itself as a strong voice and online forum for the metal roofing industry. Led by award-winning RoofersCoffeeShop founder Heidi Ellsworth, MCS is delivering a one-of-a-kind educational, informational and community experience for metal contractors and the metal industry, brought to you by Sherwin-Williams Coil Coatings. Delivering a unique LIVE experience this year at METALCON, Heidi was joined by RoofersCoffeeShop President Karen Edwards, and delivered their program “Coffee Conversations” from a sound stage built on the show floor courtesy of New Tech Machinery.

Final Week to Make Your Voice Heard | State of the Construction Industry Survey

TAKE 4 MINUTES NOW AND GET 50% OFF YOUR METALCON REGISTRATION AND FREE DOWNLOADS FROM SHIELD MEDIA!

TAKE SURVEY NOW

METALCON and Shield Wall Media have joined forces to conduct this “State of the Construction Industry” survey. By collecting, evaluating and disseminating valuable industry data, we can all make better business decisions, chart a course towards a more prosperous future, and gain some clarity in an uncertain world. Let’s work together to grow our industry by gathering and sharing market data on the segments of the construction industry we serve.

METALCON Live! FREE Webinar TODAY at 1pm – Debunking Building Airflow Misconceptions

REGISTER NOW!

Catch the No. 1 Attended Session at METALCON ’22: Debunking Building Airflow Misconceptions — Today at 1:00 PM. REGISTER NOW! (Recorded live at METALCON)

The “Code Man,” Bill Beals of Therm-All and Samuel Gray of Metallic Products debunk the common misconceptions and misunderstandings behind air flow in a building. This webinar will give you a foundational level understanding of thermodynamics that you can share with your stakeholders and customers. Being able to share this information appropriately will help your customers get what they want and need when ordering and designing a building. Discover a very real symbiotic relationship between insulation and ventilation, and how this ultimately affects your buildings longevity.

Magnificent Metal Monday – Park Union Pedestrian Bridge a “Work of Wonder”

Recognized by Architectural Digest as a 2022 Work of Wonder, this winning project also won first place in the 2022 MCA Design Awards for the Single-Skin Metal Wall Panel category, as announced at METALCON in October. Spanning 250 feet over an active railyard, the Park Union Pedestrian Bridge in Colorado Springs, Colorado, connects visitors to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum with America the Beautiful Park. According to the MCA Design Award judges, “This pedestrian, bike, and wheelchair-friendly bridge looks like a sculpture, truly an outstanding level of craftsmanship.”

Next METALCON Live! – Debunking Building Airflow Misconceptions

Don’t Miss the No. 1 Attended Session at METALCON ’22: Debunking Building Airflow Misconceptions … recorded LIVE at METALCON! REGISTER NOW!

REGISTER NOW!

Hear Samuel Gray of Metallic Products and William “Bill” Beals of Therm-All debunk the common misconceptions and misunderstandings behind air flow in a building. In this session you will get a foundational level understanding of thermodynamics that you can share with your stakeholders and customers. Being able to share this information appropriately will help your customers get what they want and need when ordering and designing a building. Discover a very real symbiotic relationship between insulation and ventilation, and how this ultimately affects your buildings longevity.

Cast your Vote for Annual Metal of Honor Awards

Now in its 19th year, Metal Roofing Magazine will present its Metal of Honor Awards in their April issue. Cast your vote for the suppliers who do the best job of providing the services and products you need to successfully run your business. Select three from the existing list, or if you don’t see your favorite supplier listed, you can nominate up to three.

MCA 2023 Winter Meeting Details and Registration

The Metal Construction Association‘s annual Winter Meeting will take place January 22-25, 2023 at the Hyatt Regency in Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa in Clearwater, FL. The MCA Winter Meeting is open to members and non-members and the event will cover an array of topics pertinent to the use of metal in the building envelope, plus several opportunities to network with industry leaders. Registration is NOW OPEN.

Magnificent Metal Monday – Thanksgiving Station Building Cladded with MCM

Photo: Corey Middleton / Metal Construction News

With the sounds, tastes and smells of Thanksgiving still fresh in our minds, let’s travel to Thanksgiving Station, a relatively new residential and commercial mixed-use community located within Thanksgiving Point, located in Lehi, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. Appropriately named to express gratitude after receiving the land as a gift from her husband, wife of tech giant WordPerfect co-founder first established Thanksgiving Point in 1995 as a nonprofit indoor and outdoor farm, garden and museum complex. Much growth and expansion has occurred over the past 20 years including the Thanksgiving Station Office Park, a 1,000,000-square-foot mixed-use development that has offices, restaurants, fitness centers, a park and access to public transportation.

When architecture firm Beecher Walker sought to create the 150,000 square-foot building Thanksgiving Station 3, the fourth of five buildings, to embody the innovation associated with prospective tech company tenants, they turned to a design that integrated boxy forms clad with metal composite material (MCM) and glazing.

Happy Thanksgiving

“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” — Melody Beattie, author

May your Thanksgiving and all the days ahead be filled with health, happiness, joy and prosperity. On behalf of the METALCON team, we extend our gratitude to our partners and to the entire metal construction industry for your ongoing support and continued successes.

S-5! Celebrates 30 Years and Announces New Products and Patents

S-5! exhibiting at METALCON last month in Indianapolis; Photo Credit: McBoat Photography

S-5!, one of the world’s leading developers of engineered, manufactured, metal roof attachments, is having a big year! Not only are they wrapping up their 30th anniversary year, but they just exhibited at METALCON for the 31st time! Additionally, they have introduced another new mounting product to the market adding to their family of clamps and attachments, and just announced 14 new patents awarded in 2022. On behalf of the METALCON team, we congratulate the S-5! family on their successes and thank them for their continued support and leadership in the metal construction community.

Magnificent Metal Monday – Metl-Span 2022 Building Of The Year

Metl-Span’s 2022 Building of the Year is 2505 Bruckner, an urban logistics facility in Brooklyn, NY 

To meet the demands of today’s modern product distribution and logistics, it takes a state-of-the-art facility and Metl-Span‘s Building of the Year, 2505 Bruckner, does just that.

DesignandBuildwithMetal reports,“2505 Bruckner stands apart as a modern urban logistics hub, one that provides unparalleled access to the greater New York City region and Connecticut for companies seeking to distribute products in that area,” said Mike Weaver, East Region sales manager, Metl-Span. “It was critical for the design of this building to make a bold statement, and Metl-Span is proud that our products created a dynamic, energy-efficient building envelope for the structure.”

We Want to Hear from You! State of the Construction Industry Survey

TAKE SURVEY NOW

METALCON and Shield Wall Media have joined forces to conduct this “State of the Construction Industry” survey. By collecting, evaluating and disseminating valuable industry data, we can all make better business decisions, chart a course towards a more prosperous future, and gain some clarity in an uncertain world. Let’s work together to grow our industry by gathering and sharing market data on the segments of the construction industry we serve.

IF YOU TAKE THE SURVEY NOW, CHECK OUT WHAT YOU’LL RECEIVE …. (will take only 4 minutes to complete)

Magnificent Metal Monday – Louis Vuitton Miami Design District Retail Store

Photo Credit: MG McGrath

Winning first place in the custom ornamental category in the MCA Design Awards for Excellence in Metal Architecture, the Metal Construction Association recognized member company, MG McGrath, last month at METALCON ’22. MG McGrath fabricated and installed an impressive 5,000 square feet of plate paneling in a Simply White Kynar finish for the store’s facade.

Industry Experts Discuss “State of the Industry” at Last Month’s METALCON ’22

Last month at METALCON, Paul Deffenbaugh, editorial director of Metal Construction News, moderated a state of the industry panel featuring Tony Bouquot, general manager of the Metal Builders Manufacturers Association (MBMA); Jennifer Heimburger, president of the Metal Builders Contractors & Erectors Association (MBCEA); Chuck Howard, long-time industry veteran and president of Metal Roof Consultants; and Alan Scott, FAIA, registered architect and sustainability practitioner with Intertek. They discussed supply chain issues, rising costs, the labor shortage and workforce development.

Magnificent Metal Monday – MCA Design Winner Spotlight on Rose Hill Project

Photo Courtesy of CetraRuddy Architecture, Esto/David Sundberg, Rockefeller Group

Last month at METALCON in Indianapolis, the Metal Construction Association announced the winners of their MCA 2022 Design Awards, a new awards program serves to recognize MCA member companies for their contributions to making an architect’s designs come alive with metal in construction. Taking first place in the Insulated Metal Panels category, MCA Members Kingspan and 3A Composites were recognized for their work on Rose Hill, a 45-story residential building located in the NoMad neighborhood of Manhattan (area that lies North and West of Madison Square Park in NYC). What makes this building truly unique is the elegant and intricate filigree with post-era detailing, accomplished only by the use of metal.

Tune in Tomorrow to RoofersCoffeeShop™ “Coffee Conversations” for 2022 Roofing Trends Report

Grab your coffee and join our friends at RoofersCoffeeShop™ for this look inside the roofing industry as they reveal the results of their latest trends report, sponsored by Beacon. This insightful episode of “Coffee Conversations” will share what contractors are reporting in regards to material shortages, labor challenges and overall business issues.

Register Now!

Magnificent Metal Monday – METALCON People’s Choice Winners Announced

From left, Jim Bus of ATAS International, Inc; Heidi Ellsworth and Karen Edwards of Roofers Coffee Shop; and Dale Nelson and colleagues with Roof Hugger, LLC accept top product awards at METALCON ’22.

While foot traffic began to slow on the final day, the excitement grew in anticipation for the announcement of this year’s METALCON Top Product People’s Choice Award winners. Returning for its second year, METALCON attendees were invited to vote on-site this month in Indianapolis for their top three choice products among the winners of the METALCON Top Products Awards which were announced last month.

Congratulations to this year’s METALCON People’s Choice Award winners including ATAS International, RoofersCoffeeShop/MetalCoffeeShop, and Roof Hugger. Continue reading for details on their winning products.

Magnificent Metal Monday – MCA 2022 Design Awards Announced at METALCON

MCA Design Awards at METALCON

Last week at METALCON 2022, the Metal Construction Association announced the winners of their MCA 2022 Design Awards. Positioned down the show floor’s “power aisle,” the projects were on display for everyone to see while walking from exhibitor to exhibitor. The new awards program serves to recognize MCA member companies for their contributions to making an architect’s designs come alive with metal in construction. Lori Reynolds Morrow, LEED Green Associate at Sheffield Metals International, was the emcee for the awards presentation during METALCON.

A panel of architects along with MCA members, judged submissions based on overall appearance, significance of metal in the project, and innovative use of metal. Winners were announced in the categories of Custom and Ornamental, Insulated Metal Panels, Metal Composite Material Panels, Single-Skin Panels, Roofs – Commercial and Residential, and Retrofit.