Located in the redeveloped Hayden Tract neighborhood in Culver City, California, this three-floor office building offers about 25,000 sf of office and amenity spaces, as well as a variety of sustainable and energy-efficient components. Situated in a former industrial zone that has become a technology and corporate hub, Del Amo Construction has completed the adaptive reuse of 3516 Schaefer St and has been given the top Gold award in the commercial office category by the Los Angeles Business Journal.
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Whether you’re a fabricator with multiple machines or a contractor using a portable hand brake on the job site, maintaining a safe work environment is your top priority. With labor shortages as challenging as ever, how do you get your employees to eat, breathe and sleep safety while still meeting your production deadlines? Industry leaders from two companies with exemplary safety records, voestalpine Roll Forming, and AMS Controls, will lead the discussion on roll forming safety in today’s METALCON Live! presented by METALCON Live! and The Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International® (FMA).
Experts say safety should never be an afterthought. The set-up, operation and maintenance of roll forming equipment requires a keen safety awareness for anyone working in the same facility. Creating a safe place for employees should be at the top of the list.
The Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International®, (FMA), puts safety as one of the organizations’ top priorities with their annual Safety Awards and Annual Safety Conference. Announced last month in the fabricator, “The Safety Awards program are open to all FMA Business members and acknowledges metal fabrication companies for achieving safety records better than the OSHA recordable rate for their North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes. Sponsored by CNA Insurance, the awards will be presented at next week’s FMA’s Annual Safety Conference.”
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Whether you’re a fabricator with multiple machines or a contractor using a portable hand brake on the job site, maintaining a safe work environment is your top priority. With labor shortages as challenging as ever, how do you get your employees to eat, breathe and sleep safety while still meeting your production deadlines? Industry leaders from two companies with exemplary safety records, voestalpine Roll Forming, and AMS Controls, will lead the discussion on roll forming safety in next Wednesday’s METALCON Live! presented by METALCON Live! and The Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International® (FMA).
The Metal Construction Association (MCA) kicked off their 40th anniversary at its Winter Meeting held in January in Clearwater, Florida, and will continue to celebrate throughout the year. MCA’s 40th Anniversary is covered in depth in this month’s issue of Metal Construction News including a look back at the association’s history, a look forward at their newest program “Future Leaders,” a list of service award winners, current MCA Members, and featured here, interviews with six industry veterans to see how “Life with MCA Over the Years” has been.
Dezeen reports, “Chinese studio Open Architecture has revealed the visuals for the new Yichang Grand Theatre in China, which will have an amorphous form intended to evoke flowing water.”
The 70,000 square-meter theatre will be located at the Pinghu Peninsula in Hubei Province, at a site where the Yangtze River meets the Huangbai River tributary.
To achieve these design goals, curved, matte anodized aluminum tubes will be used on the building’s outer surface.
The metal construction industry is the sum of many parts, an integral one being welding. Since 1996, the American Welding Society has designated the month of April as National Welding Month to bring awareness to the welding industry and its available career paths. This year’s theme, “Be Part of The Future of Welding,” celebrates the industry’s vast and diverse welding community. With welding and other skilled trades continuing to see labor shortages, it is more important than ever to bring awareness to the importance of this industry.
“Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks …” For many, this past weekend meant the opening of baseball parks around the country for the official start of the 2023 Major League Baseball season. “America’s favorite pastime” is more than just the sport, it’s the experience of being in and “part of” the stadium. Thanks to an article from Steel Specialties, Inc, here’s a look at the “steel foundation” of some of America’s most beloved baseball stadiums, and what goes into building one of these beauties, the oldest being Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox since its opening in 1912.
According to Storeganize, “The self storage industry, currently valued at $54 billion, is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.53% between 2022 and 2027 to hit a whopping $83.6 billion at the end of the forecast period, with the North American market is projected to contribute the largest chunk of this figure.” Given this projected demand, how will communities maintain their aesthetics as green space or older buildings give way to these typically nondescript, linear, modular looking buildings? Take a look at this MCA Case Study where metal roofing and wall panels achieve a desired aesthetic for a visible self-storage facility in a southern Californian town.
Published earlier this month, the results from MCN’s 42 Annual Contractor Survey show “2022 was a year of steady work but not much growth.” Editorial Director, Paul Deffenbaugh comments, “If you wanted to sum up the overall attitude among respondents, you would use this phrase: ‘hold the course, and hope for better.'” Across all the project types surveyed — metal building systems, metal roofing, metal wall panels, and light-gauge steel framing — the survey takers who report they do those kinds of projects remained relatively flat in 2022 compared to 2021.
Regardless, Paul says, “One of the hallmarks of the construction industry and contractors in particular is their abiding optimism.” While numbers were relatively flat between 2021 and 2022, the same survey respondents report optimism toward 2023. With the exception of metal building systems, respondents anticipate being more involved in specific projects, especially with metal roofing and metal wall panels, than they had been in 2022.
Thanks to our friends at DrexelMetals and the MetalCoffeeShop®, this recent article highlights the limitless design potential of curved metal roofing panels. With the advent of innovative production methods like on-site roll forming, constructing curved roofs has become a more straightforward practice. Not only do metal roofing panels simplify the installation process, but they also provide a weather-tight solution for curved roofing. Discover how these features translate into versatile building designs and learn about the innovative ways in which curved metal roofing panels are being utilized today. Read on for three examples of the versatile power.
Join us tomorrow, March 8, at 1:00 pm EST for a live presentation with leading roll forming expert, Paul Tiefenthal, as he covers the basics of the roll forming industry. Roll forming isn’t a single process carried out on a single type of system, but a family of processes performed on a variety of systems. Learning about roll forming is a matter of learning about roll forming lines, the processes they perform, and the roles and capabilities of auxiliary equipment including seam welders, and more. Discover all this and more details about what makes roll forming an indepth process.
Join us next Wednesday, March 8, as leading roll forming expert, Paul Tiefenthal, leads us in an important presentation on the basics of the roll forming industry. Roll forming isn’t a single process carried out on a single type of system, but a family of processes performed on a variety of systems. Learning about roll forming is a matter of learning about roll forming lines, the processes they perform, and the roles and capabilities of auxiliary equipment including seam welders, and more. Discover all this and more details about what makes roll forming an indepth process.
The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) has announced its annual Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel (IDEAS²) Award winners for 2023. These awards are the industry’s most prestigious design honor, recognizing projects that illustrate the exciting possibilities of building with structural steel and highlighting the many ways steel can help express architectural intent while harnessing its unique advantages for both simple and complex structural systems. This year’s winners are a mix of adaptive reuse and brand-new structures.
AISC President Charles J. Carter, SE, PE, PhD., says, “I love how this year’s winners not only use steel to create modern masterpieces but also take full advantage of steel’s unique ability to give a second life to structures that would otherwise be demolished.” Winners are listed below, separated into the categories of “Less than $15 million,” “$15 – $75 million,” “$75 to $200 million,” and “Greater than $200 million.”
The American Institute of Steel Construction’s (AISC) annual Forge Prize competition celebrates emerging architects who create visionary designs that embrace steel as the primary structural component while exploring ways to increase project speed. AISC recently announced the three finalists, who will each take home $5,000 from the first round, will now have the opportunity to work with a steel fabricator before presenting their final concepts to the judges during a live YouTube event in late March. The winner will take home a $10,000 grand prize and be invited to present before an audience of the industry’s best minds at NASCC: The Steel Conference in April.
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.
MBMA Chair Tom Boal says, “2022 has seen tremendous growth in the industry despite ongoing supply chain, labor and pricing challenges. With the need for metal building systems growing, MBMA continues to lead the industry through advocacy, working with building officials and steel suppliers, and providing educational resources.”
As the new year begins, we travel around the world to look at some exciting projects planned to open this year as compiled by ArchDaily, ranging in scale and program, from international airports to sculptural arts galleries or museum expansions. With a mix of cultural and commercial programs, the designs are located across five continents, with many under construction for multiple years. While all of the projects listed are incredible on so many levels, we’ve highlighted few stand-outs as to their use of metal to accomplish the unique design goals of the project.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
For over 30 years, METALCON has been a place for new ideas, inspiration, connections, and most importantly, ANSWERS to the questions that keep you up at night. Code compliance? Fire prevention? Rain Screen Assembly? Air Flow? These topics and more will be tackled in our Technical Know-How Learning Center. Conveniently located on the show floor, respected thought leaders will share proven strategies and technical how-to’s to address the challenges impacting your business right now (and help you sleep better at night!).
With the recent passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, United Kingdom’s longest-reigning monarch, we take a look at the impact of her reign over the architectural style of buildings in London over the past 70 years. ArchDaily’s “The Architectural Legacy of Queen Elizabeth’s 70 Year Reign,” reflects upon her legacy in terms of culture, technology, and architecture.
When she first came to the throne in 1952, according to The Guardian, the tallest building in Britain was St Paul’s Cathedral. Today, London’s skyline is marked by glass and steel office towers, many measuring over 500 feet in height, marking an end to low-rise buildings being one of the city’s trademarks.
According to the article, “Through the decades, Modernism marked the postwar period in England, with its variation, Brutalism, being the prevailing architectural style for new housing estates in Britain throughout the 1970s. The 1980s brought a slow down of Britain’s investment in public and social buildings, thus the influence of the state upon the architectural agenda also diminished … the statement architecture of private capital came to influence the image of UK’s development. Glass and steel towers now define the appearance not only in London, but in many of the UK’s major cities. New monuments like Norman Foster’s The Gherkin or Renzo Piano’s The Shard have little to no connection to England’s architectural traditions but instead aim to create a globally recognizable image and stimulate local economic growth. There is no linear stylistic development, but representative buildings have taken cues from the High-Tech movement in the 1990s, as exemplified by Lloyd’s building in London, Post-Modernism, in the case of Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery, designed by Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown, or Deconstructivism, as in Daniel Libeskind’s Imperial War Museum North.”
London skyline overlooking the Thames from The Globe Theatre; Photo Credit: Nancy Reilly
While overseeing the architectural landscape of the city was not the monarch’s primary obligation, it will be hard for architectural communities and historians to overlook Queen Elizabeth II’s impact and legacy over the past 70 years. The article states, “Whereas the Queen’s forbears sealed their legacies by commissioning cities, palaces, and cathedrals, the Queen has been discreet in expressing interest in directly influencing the built environment. It might be a little early to assess it. Still, maybe in the future, with the added benefit of hindsight, we might appreciate Elizabeth II’s era as one of progress, innovation, and constantly improving quotidian comforts.”
For a deeper dive into the relationship of architecture and metal and its impact on cities and communities, we invite you to join us next month for The Architect’s Experience at METALCON, a “show-within-a-show” produced in partnership with AECDaily, offering design professionals an intimate look at how metal can help you solve your toughest architectural, structural, environmental, and building performance challenges. METALCON ’22 takes place October 12-14 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The program features founding principal of Building Science Corporation, Dr. Joe Lstiburek, who will delve into the world of energy flow with his keynote address, “There’s No Such Thing as a Free Thermodynamic Lunch – How Changing Energy Flow Changes Everything.” In addition, get a special architects-only guided tour of the show floor, exclusive networking opportunities with key manufacturers of metal products, and the opportunity to earn up to 19 AIA LU’s including 12 HSWs with 25+ expert-led education sessions curated for design professionals.
It doesn’t get bigger than this! Learn directly from the man responsible for the development and publication of the AISI S250 standard during this FREE webinar happening tomorrow, September 7, at 1:00 pm. Join Jonathan Humble, regional director of construction codes and standards for the American Iron and Steel Institute, as he introduces and clarifies AISI S250, North American Standard for Thermal Transmittance of Building Envelopes with Cold-Formed Steel Framing.
The Grand Award winner in the 2021 Metal Construction News Project Excellence Awards and the New Metal Roofs category winner was the New York City-based Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library Rooftop Terrace. The project is noteworthy for its “wizard’s hat-shaped roof” that gracefully disguises the rooftop mechanical equipment above the public terrace. The judges selected it calling it a “brilliant solution for urban design building detail,” citing its roof that was “not typically expected on a historic building.”
Photo: John Bartelstone, courtesy of New York Public Library / MCNContinue reading →
As METALCON prepares to “roar” into Indianapolis, known for the greatest spectacle in motor racing, MMM takes a look at the transformed Petersen Museum, inspired by the form of a car. A true showcase of the versatility of metal in design, the renewed image for the museum captures the art, experience, culture and heritage of the automobile. Located on Museum Row on Los Angeles’ famed Miracle Mile, the remodeled museum building was designed by architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), and is intended to convey speed and motion. The “Hot Rod red” building has an overlay of 308 steel ribbon sections and features three floors of themed galleries displaying automotive art and artifacts, as well as more than 100 vehicles, 23 motorcycles, a few scooters and a bobsled.
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