LEED | Zahner

Kansas City Star

Kansas City Star Production Facility

The production facility for the Kansas City Star includes a locally manufactured, custom-patinated copper, created by Zahner for the building’s facade. The new production facility for the Kansas City Star was designed and developed by The Austin Company, an engineering design firm specializing in large-scale industrial facilities.

Zahner developed a preweathered copper patination system for this building. An estimated 4155 pre-patina copper panels were installed on the building’s surface to create the 80,000 SF surface area. The building’s green surface is mottled and variegated, a patina designed to age the building’s copper surface by 200 years. The natural patina will continue to grow and change in appearance as it ages. The patina provides a layer of natural protection for the copper alloy.

Related Surface

Patinated Copper

Zahner has developed proprietary techniques to preweather copper and copper-alloyed sheets with deep, rich patinas not unlike those that formerly took several decades to develop naturally. Some of these techniques can develop the rich green and blue tones of cupric nitrate on the copper surface. Other techniques will develop browns, yellows, and oranges in various hues.

The Kansas City Star Production Facility.

Irving Convention Center

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Convention Center, LEED, Parking Structure Dallas--Texas, Irving--Texas, Las Colinas--Texas Beck Group, RMJM Architecture, RMJM Hillier, Studio Hillier Brown, Gold XL 2010 /by cmorris

The Irving Convention Center in Las Colinas

Completed in June of 2010, the project is designed by RMJM + Hillier. The convention center is located in Las Colinas, a master-planned community within the city of Irving, which is itself situated halfway between sister cities Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas.

The project features a Zahner-engineered and produced copper curtain-wall. The entire surface of the project is custom perforated and bumped with a pattern unique to the building. The surface integrates the ZIRA Process for generating the embossed and punched surface.

The surface was installed as mill-finish copper, which means that the raw ‘red’ copper surface will go through a long process of patination. Within weeks of installation, the project had already begun to darken in areas, and within a year, the whole building had a deep bluish brown patina. This natural process is a result of the temperature, moisture, and pollution in the air, which causes the material to at first darken, and eventually change to greens and blues many years from now.

Achieving LEED Status

In 2013, the Irving Convention Center was awarded LEED Silver status for the built design’s sustainable development. Zahner played a role in ensuring the building’s construction would meet requirements:

From an operational standpoint, the “stacked” building gains efficiencies with its heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, translating into a more energy-efficient structure. The vertical plan also meant a smaller footprint of land was needed.
The copper exterior is more than just a design element. The no-maintenance material translates into lower costs for the center, eliminating the need for painting every few years to maintain its appearance.
Perforations in the copper skin also provide an important role for energy efficiency, providing built-in shade while using the natural currents of the wind to create a cushion of cooling air between it and the building, decreasing the need for air-conditioning while in essence, shading itself.
The trusses of the massive 4000-ton steel structure were designed so that they could be sourced domestically; much of the steel came from recycled sources nearby in North Texas and Oklahoma.

Knowing that the pattern would overlap with itself in certain areas, the architects at RMJM Hillier experimented within the bounds of possible perforations to see how two layers of the same material would interact with each other. The result is a smart pattern not unlike the results of moire patterns.

Moire patterns from overlapping perforated metal.

Quatrefoil moire pattern appears in the double-layered perforated metal.

The surfaces above show details of the pattern used and how the frequentoverlaps throughout the project will result in clever patterning. The project was completed in early 2011.

The design is also unique in that at first glance, the material seems impossible. From a medium distance, the metal surface seems to float in space, because the circular shapes are pieced together via slight ‘bridges’ or connecting sections of copper. The effect is that from a near distance, the copper circular sections of the perforation appear to float.

Instructional Centre

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture, Interior Architecture Education, LEED Toronto--Canada Perkins + Will Blue, Charcoal, Green L 2011 /by cmorris

University of Toronto Mississauga Instructional Centre

The University of Toronto at Mississauga (UTM) has developed a number of unique buildings to serve the students on its campus. The Instructional Centre at UTM is no different. Clad in a Zahner pre-patinated copper surface, this custom blue patina on copper was developed specifically for the project.

The patina was an inspired decision by the architects at Perkins + Will whose design required a number of unique aspects for both the interior and exterior of the building.

The architects wanted a facade with an artistic patina, revealing the bare copper in some areas, and hitting dark points in others. This mottled appearance appears natural, but it is manufactured by Zahner.

The award-winning University of Toronto Instruction Centre’s new building is certified LEED Silver, and was completed in 2011.

Related Surface

Instructional Centre

Under normal circumstances, raw copper sheet will develop a copper patina after ten to twenty years. In the case of the UTM Instructional Centre, this patina was developed in a matter of weeks by chemically oxidizing the metal in a controlled environment.

Zahner patina technicians developed a custom Star Blue patina on the copper, modifying its application technique for artistic effect. Zahner cultivates and trains patination experts for both their scientific prowess as well as their artistic vision, because many clients require a high-performance artistic patinated panel rather than a uniform machine-produced surface.

These copper sheets were then formed by Zahner into a panels. The prefabricated panels were crated and shipped to the job site in Toronto, where the pre-patinated panels were installed.

Students walking at dawn amidst the blue copper facade.

Students walk up and down the main staircase.

Overhead view of the new building at UTM.

Interior view showing the variance of brown and green copper.

The mood of the patinated copper interior walls changes during the evening.

The Instructional Centre is built just northwest of the recently completed Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre. The new building features a cafe in the main entrance and lobby underneath the main staircase.

The Instructional Centre’s design includes two lecture halls stacked vertically and organized into three towers, each clad in the pre-patinated copper. Each of these solid volumes enclose smaller perimeter lounges, enticing students to gather before and after lectures.

The UTM Instructional Centre is located at the north end of campus in place of a parking lot.Read more about the pre-patinated Star Blue patina used on the surface of the building, or Contact Zahner to request custom samples for your project.

Grace Farms

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture LEED, Worship Center New Canaan--Connecticut, Northeastern United States Handel Architects, SANAA Silver L 2015 Featured /by cmorris

The River at Grace Farms in New Canaan, Connecticut

Descending into a valley at Grace Farms in New Canaan Connecticut, The River consists of five volumes linked together by a single curving roof. SANAA designed the project with Handel Architects serving as the executive architect. The new building provides a sanctuary, library, court, commons, and pavilion, all under an aluminum roof by Zahner.

Zahner’s Design Assist team was brought into the project for their expertise in engineering and manufacturing systems for custom building envelopes. The panel system provides a subtle dual curvature, and yet consists of standard-sized sheets of exterior anodized aluminum. Zahner developed the roof in close collaboration with the architects, who provided feedback and requirements for its aesthetic performance.

“Our goal with the River is to make the architecture become part of the landscape. We hope that those who are on the property will have a greater enjoyment of the beautiful environment and changing seasons through the spaces and experience created by the River.”
— Sharon Prince, Grace Farms Foundation President.

The River at Grace Farms, in New Canaan, Connecticut

The building's reflective roof appears as a river below the feet of visitors on the hill.

Roof detail for Grace Farms, designed by SANAA.

The River at Grace Farms, exterior anodized aluminum.

Wood panel ceiling provides a canopy for The River at Grace Farms

A landscape painter at Grace Farms in New Canaan, Connecticut.

The Sanctuary at Grace Farms in New Canaan, Connecticut.

The River at Grace Farms, New Canaan, Connecticut

Profile of the roof detail at Grace Farms.

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

The building's wooden soffit provides a contrast to its reflective aluminum roof.

Grace Farms roof winds its way up the hill.

Grace Farms roof has a warm soffit manufactured in wood.

Creating the Grace Farms dual-curving serpentine Roof

To achieve dual curvatures and other complex shapes, many roof systems use ZEPPS, a Zahner system for achieving sculptural forms in architecture. However, for the Grace Farms project, the dual curvatures of the roof were subtle and didn’t require dramatic curves. So the engineering team at Zahner developed a light-weight system to achieve the shape, without the need for a custom ZEPPS specification.

The roof system was made by the use of several custom aluminum extrusions. These form a channel system between the aluminum skins. Within this channel, a floating aluminum plate snaps into place, which provides a smooth visual transition between the aluminum panels.

Details of the Grace Farms roof system during construction

One of the economic advantages of this custom roof system, is that it allowed for the use of a standard-sized aluminum plate, 20′ in length. The only custom roof panels required are along the roof’s edge, which were cut at custom angles to provide the roof’s contoured edge.

Zahner field installers were also involved in putting together the system, and provided feedback to the engineering team in Kansas City. The system was also simple to install, and provided flexibility for the field operators who put it together — flexibility without sacrificing aesthetics.

Detail of the panels to create the dual curve roof on Grace Farms.

Installers place the structural steel supports for the Grace Farms roof.

The decision to allow the the aluminum roof panels to overhang the building’s edge created an intriguing aesthetic effect. Because of the way that the aluminum interfaces with the building’s edge, the spacing between panels becomes visible against the sky above. This void between panels is further accentuated by the shadows that they cast along the soffit. The shadow provides a kind of sun dial, creating diagonal marks across the building’s profile, visible in many of the photographs of the building.

The sliver of light which passes between the panel’s void provides a unique aesthetic effect, appearing as a sharp diagonal line between the shadows. This sunbeam’s angle changes as the sun passes across the sky.

Installers lay the panels to create the dual curve roof on Grace Farms.

Grace Farms was designed by SANAA with Handel Architects as its architect of record. Sciame managed the project, and Zahner engineering and manufactured the exterior roof system, coordinating the enclosure system with Dahill who provided the waterproofing for the roofing components.

Gates Hall at Cornell

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture, Interior Architecture Education, LEED Ithaca--New York Morphosis Orange, Silver L 2014 /by cmorris

Bill & Melinda Gates Hall at Cornell University

Gates Hall is a new computer science building for students of Cornell in Ithaca, New York. Designed by Morphosis Architects, the building features Zahner custom systems for the soffit, interior entry foyer, and exterior facade. The building, named for Bill & Melinda Gates, is a dedicated building for Cornell University’s Computing and Information Science (CIS) program.

The project’s facade is designed using generative processes developed by Morphosis. Its unique appearance also serves the building’s environment performance, reducing heat gain while providing natural light into the offices and classrooms.

The complex facade appears to be made up of unique parts, but there are several typical forms which are cleverly spaced to give the appearance that each part is unique. This technique of using the negative space to create complex visuals is a hallmark of the architecture firm’s genius, and can be seen on other Morphosis projects such as Emerson College LA and Bloomberg Center.

Related Project

Emerson LA

Working with Zahner's Design Assist team of engineers, designers and fabricators, this generative design was developed for manufacturing. A team of Zahner installers completed the project in Los Angeles, providing the campus with a visually compelling, efficiently envisioned, and rapidly completed building envelope system.

Zahner worked with Morphosis to optimize the frame panel system, reducing it to the fewest number of components. By switching from bulky hollow frames to a combination of angles and plates, Zahner minimized the leading edges and simplified its compound joint conditions, resulting in sharper lines and cleaner forms at a reduced cost.

Photograph of the Gates Hall main entrance and soffit system.

Metal panel system provide the building's offices with natural light and shading.

Field time and layout were reduced immensely by using a three-point attachment scheme and coordinating anchor locations beforehand, which were fabricated into the mullions. There are 450 total framed panels using 90 panel types, fabricated by Zahner for the facade. Each panel was pre-designated and automatically numbered with its specific location and pre-installed mullion incorporated anchor-tabs awaiting their arrival.

The facade project team included Zahner working directly with glass installer W&W to optimize the panel system. Thornton Tomasetti provided the structure’s engineering, and Welliver was the construction manager that coordinated and ensured the project’s success. The project team’s delivery of the angular sunshades should contribute to the building’s expected LEED Gold certification.

Reducing the cost of the Gates Hall facade with Design Assist

Because Zahner not only fabricates but also engineers its facades, Design Assist is often employed for complex facades such as Gates Hall at Cornell. By managing the project under a Design Assist contract, Zahner was able to refine the façade elements with Morphosis to arrive at a system that achieved the aesthetic intent and was streamlined for fabrication and installation.

Interior foyer with stainless steel entrance metalwork.

Detail of the exterior galvanized steel facade connection.

Detail of the orange-painted aluminum soffit system used on Gates Hall at Cornell University.

The design team members examine the Zahner mockup as part of the Design Assist contract.

Detail of the interior metalwork on the Gates Hall at Cornell.

Engineering rendering and construction photograph of the completed facade.

Using Zahner’s Design Assist process allowed Morphosis to hone the costs of their design while meeting its visual requirements. Once the design intent was solidified, Zahner clarified the forms, both aesthetically and functionally. This resulted in reduced waste and construction delays, as well as a reduction in the overall cost.

The facade was designed to create the illusion of movement through a series of rigid forms. By varying the shape and angle that panels integrated into the panel system, Morphosis was able to create smooth transitions across the surface. Each panel is mounted on a staggered galvanized steel frame, and skinned with perforated stainless steel.

The design team members overlook the window unit integration of the completed facade.

Gates Hall facade seen from the adjacent baseball field parking structure.

Photograph of students entering the overhanging panel at Gates Hall.

Detail of the custom metal panels used on Gates Hall at Cornell.

Building the Entrance Soffit

In addition to the building’s generative facade, Zahner also engineered and manufactured the bright orange soffit under the main entrance. The sloping curves of the painted aluminum soffit contrast against the angularities of its framed panels.

Zahner used the ZEPPS assemblies on the soffit to achieve this flowing surface. Systematic production of seven internal fin members per panel created the continuous curves and minimized the number of joints. Support members follow the profile of the soffit to ensure the efficiency of the final surface and optimal installation.

Zahner's soffit layout and design for the main entrance.

Photograph of orange-coated aluminum soffit panel system at Gates Hall.

Atrium at Gates Hall, shows the interior feature wall installed and fabricated by Zahner.

Detail of the shaded perforated metal panel system at Cornell's Science Center.

Student Lounge at Gates Hall, shaded by the perforated panel system by Zahner.

Building with Morphosis

Zahner has worked with Morphosis on several projects including Cooper Union and Clyde’s Wine and Dine in New York City, and the Eugene Federal Courthouse in Oregon, and Emerson LA in California. Because of these successful collaborations, Morphosis brought Zahner onboard during the planning stages to provide Design Assist.

Eugene Courthouse

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Government, LEED Eugene--Oregon DLR Group, Morphosis Silver L 2006 /by cmorris

The Wayne L. Morse Federal Courthouse in Eugene, Oregon.

The Wayne L. Morse Federal Courthouse was the first project Zahner completed with Morphosis architects. The architects were introduced to Zahner through the general contractor on the project, JE Dunn Construction, who managed the project. Located in Eugene, Oregon, the courthouse was completed in 2006, and it serves the District of Oregon as part of the Ninth Judicial Circuit. The building was named in honor of the late senator Wayne Lyman Morse.

The 266,742 square-foot building is six stories tall, with six courtrooms as well as offices for the courts and other agencies. Thom Mayne of Morphosis led the design team, winning the bid to design the project though careful planning and dedication to the project.

The building is clad with Angel Hair stainless steel, which prevents hot-spots from appearing on the metal in direct sunlight. The non-directional surface gives the building a uniform, semi-reflective tone. The sides are finished using 14ga stainless steel with Angel Hair finish rainscreen wall panel and recessed flat-seam system. The entire building team used BIM technology, which ensured that all contractors and subs and the architects were on the same page at all times, and that construction moved smoothly along its rapid 24-month construction schedule.

When it opened it became the first new federal courthouse in the United States to earn LEED Gold status.

The Morphosis-designed Wayne L. Morse United States Courthouse in Eugene, Oregon.

View from the south of the entrance to the Morse Courthouse in Eugene, Oregon.

Connection details for the building's stainless steel facade.

Detail of the stainless steel facade for Eugene Federal Courthouse.

Detail photograph of the Wayne L. Morse United States Courthouse.

Photograph from the southeastern entrance to the Morse Courthouse.

Building with Green Technologies

The structure earned a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification for its energy efficiency and sustainability. Zahner worked closely with architects at Morphosis and General Contractor JE Dunn to keep costs down, transitioning from the originally planned zinc facade to stainless steel, and saving $2.1 million in installation costs.

The building is a result of the General Services Administration (GSA), which held a competition for the design of the new courthouse. The building is part of the Design in Excellence Program, a GSA project which seeks to increase the quality of architecture for federal government projects. The total cost to complete the project was $96 million. Due to budget cuts, elements including a rooftop reflecting pool and etching of the Bill of Rights onto the exterior were removed from the project. In 2007, the AIA named the courthouse one of the top ten green projects of the year, citing the minimal maintenance needs of the materials used for the courthouse.

There are a total of approximately 2,400 ribbed panels (main structure) and 2,400 flat pan panels (stair towers) constructed of 14 gage 316 stainless steel with an Angel Hair finish. There is approximately 110,000 square feet of stainless steel on this project.

Aerial view of the Wayne L. Morse United States Courthouse.

Design Assist for Morphosis

The design assist process provides an invaluable service to the production of complex buildings and surfaces. For the Morse Courthouse, the challenges were set high for both the engineering team as well as the Zahner artisans who would build the metal components.

Zahner worked closely with Morphosis to assist in the design details for the paneling systems. Throughout 2004 and 2005, the architects and engineers traded drawings, three-dimensional models, and digitally printed three-dimesional physical models (below) to facilitate the fabrication process.

Model of the Wayne L. Morse United States Courthouse.

Zahner has since worked with Morphosis on several projects, such as the Cooper Union in New York City, Emerson College in Los Angeles, and Gates Hall at Cornell in Ithaca, New York. See more projects completed by Morphosis with Zahner, and contact Zahner to see how we can work for your team.

Emerson LA

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture, Interior Architecture Education, LEED Los Angeles--California Morphosis Silver, White L 2014 /by cmorris

Emerson College at Los Angeles, California

Emerson College LA is designed by Morphosis with a series of custom facade systems design-engineered, manufactured, and installed by Zahner. The new Emerson College campus in Los Angeles provides a landmark for film and performing arts students of the Boston-based college to study in an immersive environment. The innovative design by the esteemed architects at Morphosis provides an integrated and efficient experience for both visitors and students.

Working with Zahner’s Design Assist team of engineers, designers and fabricators, this generative design was developed for manufacturing. A team of Zahner installers completed the project in Los Angeles, providing the campus with a visually compelling, efficiently envisioned, and rapidly completed building envelope system.

The project was certified LEED Gold in 2014.

Related Project

Gates Hall at Cornell

The project's facade is designed using generative processes developed by Morphosis. Its unique appearance also serves the building's environment performance, reducing heat gain while providing natural light into the offices and classrooms.

View of Emerson College at Los Angeles from across Sunset Boulevard.

Entrance stairs to the Emerson College at Los Angeles.

View of Sunset Blvd and Hollywood Hills through the piazza stairway at Emerson LA.

Evening photograph of Emerson LA, featuring a view of the complex undulating surface created by Zahner.

Photo detail of the louvered display during at the Emerson LA Campus..

Additional aluminum metalwork in the main gathering areas at Emerson LA.

View of the exterior hallway at Emerson College Los Angeles.

Photographs of the mockup, revealing the corridor which cuts through the facade.

Building the Emerson College at Los Angeles

Zahner was brought onto the project based on previous work with the architects on projects such as Cooper Union New Academic Building in New York City, Eugene Federal Courthouse in Oregon, Gates Hall at Cornell and also an interior project which may have been the first Morphosis project to feature this kind of generative design, Clyde Frazier’s Wine & Dine in New York City.

The generative design of its scrim isn’t the only aspect of engineering and manufacture that Zahner worked on for the project. Zahner’s scope of work included both the engineered aluminum scrim wall as well as the dual-curvature forms contained within the building’s square structure.

At the building’s core is a complex form which contains many of the presentation rooms, classrooms and administrative spaces. To create the complex form with Morphosis, engineers used ZEPPS, the Zahner building process for creating sculptural forms. ZEPPS provides a secondary structural facade system which allowed the architects to efficiently put together an otherwise complex form.

Color-coded rendering of the ZEPPS panel layout design.

ZEPPS works by breaking a complex form into smaller assemblies. These assemblies are typically sized based on the shipping container or truck trailer size. The curving form at the building’s center was made using this process.

Photograph showing both the ZEPPS forms as well as the generative facade design.

The mockup for Emerson LA at the Zahner Headquarters in Kansas City.

Detail of the Emerson LA facade against Hollywood Hills in California.

Photograph of the Emerson LA Campus at night.

Rendering of the Morphosis-designed Emerson LA Campus.

Preliminary sketch by Thom Mayne of Morphosis for Emerson LA.

El Paso Courthouse

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Government, LEED El Paso--Texas Antoine Predock Architect PC Black, Charcoal, Gold, Violet L 2010 /by cmorris

El Paso United States Federal Courthouse

Designed by Antoine Predock Architects, the award-winning courthouse in El Paso features a Zahner-manufactured copper facade. Officially dedicated in early September of 2010, the construction of the courthouse was made possible by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act investments by GSA.

The courthouse has been recognized around the United States for both its architectural qualities and its environmentally innovative design.

The building won the Texas Downtown Association’s President’s Award for Best New Construction, which recognizes construction excellence in downtown or commercial districts. Judges were impressed by the use of materials, which paid homage to the copper industry of El Paso and how the design of the building connected with the surrounding downtown.

North elevation of the El Paso Federal Courthouse.

Detail of the Special Proceedings Court at El Paso's Federal Courthouse.

El Paso Courthouse viewed from the northwest.

The building’s mass is largely composed of two materials. Limestone, quarried locally in Texas, and copper, a material which references the local smelter. Zahner provided engineering-design, as well as fabrication and installation of the copper panels.

The building was certified as LEED Silver by the U.S. Green Building Council. Its design makes use of innovative ventilation and air conditioning; computerized heating systems; lighting and utility metering to conserve energy; window glazing; energy-efficient Energy Star products; as well as interior and exterior elements made from recycled materials.

Building the El Paso Federal Courthouse

Zahner was was responsible for the custom cladding of the El Paso Courthouse. This included the engineering, fabrication, and installation of the red copper facade.

As the installers began cladding the building, the material began to blacken in areas as intended. This is caused by the oxidation of the surface, the natural process of patination on copper.

El Paso Federal Courthouse during construction.

The patina begins to form on the surface of the recently completed courthouse.

As the metal oxidizes, the material will go through the stages of copper weathering. After a year, the appearance matches the Dirty Penny patina, and the surface will continue to age, evolve, and change in color.

Cooper Union

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Education, LEED New York City Gruzen Samton, Morphosis Grey, Silver L 2011 /by cmorris

Cooper Union Academic Building at 41 Cooper Square

Cooper Union New Academic Building at 41 Cooper Square is a Morphosis designed educational facility which includes a custom-curving and perforated stainless steel facade, made by Zahner.

The University’s new building covers a full city block on Third Avenue from East 6th to East 7th in downtown Manhattan, bordering the East Village. The Morphosis design provides Cooper Union with a futuristic facade, strikingly different from its surrounding buildings.

Related Project

Emerson LA

Cooper Union New Academic Building in Manhattan.

From afar, small windows appear to be scattered across the building’s surface. Drawing nearer, it becomes clear that these windows are actually sheets of stainless steel. Perforated sheets, surfaced in a mechanically-applied Angel Hair finish, encompass the entire facade and offer a sustainable, energy saving solution. By controlling sunlight penetration during warm weather and acting as an insulating barrier in cold weather, the skin system promises a 50% reduction in heat load.

Timelapse of 41 Cooper Square in New York.

Fabricators at Zahner assemble the Cooper Union facade in Kansas City.

Design Assist for 41 Cooper Square

Morphosis Architects invited Zahner to join the project team early on in a Design Assist process. Zahner collaborated with the team to provide engineering-design and manufacturing for the building facade.

Many Zahner-manufactured projects begin in the Design Assist (DA) phase. During DA, Architects provide a general model or conceptual drawings, collaborating with Zahner engineers to define details. The goal of the process is to achieve efficient manufacturing, within a budget, while remaining true to the original vision. As the project moved into the production phase, parts were engineered, drafted, and fabricated as pre-assembled metal panels for quick installation. The completed panel assemblies were shipped to New York City where local installers completed construction.

Panels prepared for shipment to New York from Kansas City.

Cooper Union New Academic Building signage at Zahner shop.

Detail of the Cooper Union New Academic Building signage.

Interior vertical piazza of the Cooper Union New Academic Building.

Basic structure beneath the Cooper Union's facade during construction.

Detail photograph of the less perforated rectangular sections.

Operable windows at Cooper Union New Academic Building.

Margaret M. Walter Wing at the Columbus Museum of Art

The new Margaret M. Walter Wing of the Columbus Museum of Art is a contemporary work of architecture featuring both interior and exterior custom-patinated copper sheets manufactured by Zahner.

In 2013, the Columbus Museum of Art’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted in favor of beginning construction on a new expansion project which would enable the Museum to bring global exhibitions to the residents of Columbus, Ohio. The museum reached out to DesignGroup principal Michael Bongiorno whose design team, including Keoni Fleming, Annie Neumer, and Joseph Mayer, developed a strategy for the museum’s expansion. The expansion’s centerpiece, the Margaret M. Walter Wing, adds 50,000 square feet to the total square footage of the Museum’s available gallery space, and is expected to reach a LEED Silver certification.

Columbus Museum of Art in Columbus, Ohio.

Columbus Museum of Art, East facade, glass, and limestone.

Columbus Museum of Art, detail of the custom copper soffit.

Columbus Museum of Art, detail of the custom copper flashing and metalwork.

The architects worked with their client to develop a design which would pair the Museum’s rich history with its promising future. The designers achieved this balance in many ways, including aesthetics. The design of the building’s form is contemporary, featuring many modern architectural touches, while its surface is an antiqued copper, a rich material which would normally require decades of weathering to achieve.

Developing the Architectural Copper Panels with Custom Patina

Zahner has worked with patinated copper and copper-alloys since the company’s establishment in 1897, but it was only a recent advancement by Zahner’s research and development team that allowed the firm to match naturally aged copper.

Typically, architectural copper panels are installed as raw or ‘red’ copper sheets, and while this color will quickly morph from reflective reflective pinks and reds to a matte brown surface, it will still take another few decades before the metal fully patinates into the blues and greens.

An example of this slow patination process is the de Young Museum in California, which Zahner manufactured and installed in 2003-2005 as unpatinated copper panel system. Ten years later, the surface is now starting to show signs of green along the panel seams, but the overall tone is still a deep matte burnt umber tone. It is likely another ten to twenty years before the de Young will take on a green hue.

For the new CMA building, Zahner sped up the process. Zahner engineers manufactured pre-weathered custom blue-green copper using a rapid patina process. A process that normally takes twenty to thirty years was achieved in the span of a few weeks.

Zahner fabricated the building’s custom flashing and standing seam roof and supplied the pre-patinated copper sheets for the copper wall panels. Keith Panel Systems (KPS) engineered and fabricated the wall panels on their KPS System ‘A’ which provides a compartmentalized and pressure-equalized rainscreen. Phinney Industrial Roofing coordinated the work with KPS and successfully completed the installation as the sub-contractor to Corna Kokosing Construction.