Silver | Zahner

Gates Hall at Cornell

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.

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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.

Fisher Center

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Performance Center Kingston--New York Frank Gehry Partners Silver L 2003 /by cmorris

Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College

The Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts is the latest addition to the Bard College campus. Featuring a curving roof and structure manufactured by Zahner, the building is nestled amongst the foothills of the Catskill Mountains.

The performance center was completed in 2003, designed by Frank Gehry Partners. Zahner has been involved with Gehry’s firm since the beginning, and has been involved in a number of featured Gehry projects over the years. The Bard College was finished a year after Weatherhead at Case Western, and a year prior to the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, Chicago. All three were built using Zahner engineering-design, fabrication, and installation.

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The 22 ga stainless steel surface resembles an undulating, unbroken ribbon. Finished in #4 satin, the surface is more reflective than Angel Hair or GB-60 but less diffuse than a mirror-finish.

Photograph of the setting sun on the Fisher Center at Bard College.

Creating the Surface of Fisher Center

Angel Hair stainless steel clads the entire surface of the secondary structure (which was also produced by Zahner, explained below). The stainless steel skins were lapped and fastened using a custom-engineered counter-sunk fastener. The finish of this surface is unlike any other surface in its ability to create muted tones, ambiently reflecting its surroundings.

The Richard B. Fisher Center Performing Arts Center at Bard College.

Detail of the Angel Hair stainless steel surface on the Fisher Center at Bard College.

Photographs of the Fisher Center at Bard College.

Photograph of the western entrance to the Fisher Center at Bard College.

Detail of the Angel Hair Stainless Steel and structural steel for Fisher Center.

Designing, Fabricating, and Installing with ZEPPS Technology

Working in CATIA and Pro-Engineer and utilizing Gehry Partners master model, Zahner developed a workable surface using the ZEPPS Technology to form the walls and roof of this dynamic set of structures.

Using the dual-curving panels made possible by ZEPPS eliminates several construction steps because it requires no additional supports or finishing due to its exclusively structural aluminum components. Over 3,200 stainless sheets were installed on top of 710 unique ZEPPS assemblies — each panel interlocks with the next to form the dynamic but uniform surface of the roof and sides.

Using the ZEPPS assemblies allowed the entire EIFS (Exterior Insulation Finishing Systems) wall and glazing to be embedded in the dual curving forms. This provided options for the interior wall surfaces of the building to closely mirror the exterior of the building. Along with EIFS walls and glazing, Zahner’s system formed the entire roof, wall and much of the building envelope for the performing arts center.

The panels consist of a high strength aluminum frame structure profiled to form the shape desired by the architect. Per the architect’s request, the interior side of the panel was left uncovered to expose the intricate framing members.

Fabricating the Fisher Center stainless steel and aluminum panels at A. Zahner Company in Kansas City.

History of Fisher Center: The Design Team looks at the dual curvature metal panel system at A. Zahner Company Headquarters | Bard College student sign 'Make huge silver crumpled buildings, not war.'

A. Zahner Company field crew install the panels at Bard College.

Construction photo of the south entrance of the Richard B. Fisher Center at Bard College.

Photo of the south entrance of the Richard B. Fisher Center at Bard College.

Photographs of the Fisher Center building and landscape.

Interior and exterior of Fisher Center, viewed through the massive glazing system on the front entrance.

The Bard College canopy is the first design by Frank Gehry Partners to leave the ZEPPS understructure exposed, a decision made to celebrate the complex construction that goes into buildings.

The engineers at Zahner and the architects at Gehry’s office enjoy a dynamic working relationship that continues to evolve and push the boundaries of what is possible to design and build. Learn more about how Gehry’s team works with Zahner to build complex buildings.

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.

MoPop Museum

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Museum Seattle--Washington Frank Gehry Partners, LMN Architects Gold, Light blue, Red, Silver, Violet, White XL 2000 /by cmorris

Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)

Jimi Hendrix inspired the name, Frank Gehry designed the project, and Zahner produced the stunning curvilinear forms and structure. Residing in the shadow of the Seattle Space Needle, the Experience Music Project (now the Museum of Pop Culture, or MoPOP) was completed in 2000.

Gehry’s unique design required a creative approach to engineering and fabrication. The Museum was one of the first projects to use ZEPPS, the Zahner technology for producing curvilinear and complex structures. The process resulted in 3,300 unique structural assemblies clad in 21,000 metal sheets — for a total surface area of more than 140,000 square feet of curving metal. No two sheets and no two panel assemblies are the same.

Surface techniques are similarly varied, and include Angel Hair stainless steel, red interference-coated stainless steel and fluorocarbon-coated aluminum.

“

The most complex exterior skin ever devised for a building.

Civil Engineering MagazineSteve M. Huey.

Constructing the Building Envelope

Working with Gehry’s design, the Zahner team developed a process for reducing curves into large, pre-fabricated assemblies which could then be easily shipped and rapidly installed. Thus, the Zahner Engineered Profiled Panel System (ZEPPS) came into being.

At its core, the ZEPPS process consists of an aluminum support structure, clad in a layer of sheet metal. A final metal layer (of the designer’s selection) completes the assembly and is usually installed onsite. The ZEPPS process efficiently produces complex forms with minimal waste, reducing a building’s ecological footprint.

Since the EMP Museum’s completion, the ZEPPS system has undergone several iterations, growing more powerful, accurate, and refined. The process continues to be the preferred method for manufacturing sculptural form.

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.

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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.

Dream Downtown

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Hospitality New York City Handel Architects Silver L 2011 /by cmorris

The Dream Downtown Hotel in New York City

The Dream Downtown Hotel, designed by Handel Architects, features a Zahner engineered custom façade and window system. To mitigate glare, the stainless steel is custom finished to medium reflectivity. The perforated ZIRA system lends an element of visual interest and added rainscreen functionality.

Zahner was selected to collaborate on the project due to the complexity of engineering required. The architect’s drawings outlined dozens of circular windows to be cut into the façade, mirroring parts of the preserved historic building, originally designed by Albert Ledner.

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Hotel guests enter the south entrance of the Dream Hotel in NYC.

North facade of the Dream Downtown / Staircase inside the Dream Hotel.

South facade of the Dream Downtown in New York City.

Metal fabricators at Zahner's shop manufacture the window systems for the New York City facade..

Detail of the metal panel system of the south side of Dream Downtown.

DFW Airport

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Airport, Transportation Dallas--Texas Corgan Associates, HKS, HNTB, HOK Silver XL 2005 /by cmorris

Dallas Fort Worth Airport, Terminal D

The new Terminal D at the Dallas Fort Worth Airport is the largest square-foot project completed to date using Zahner’s Inverted Seam roof and facade system. The new terminal was built to give international travelers a lasting positive impression of their arrival and departure from the United States.

The building envelope for this work includes approximately 500,000 square feet of surface covered with 11 acres of stainless steel cladding for the roof. Just over two miles of gutter and five miles of fascia panels adorn the roof. The entirety of the building envelope metal system was included in the scope for the Zahner team. Zahner worked with the architects at HNTB, Corgan Associates, and HKS, to complete this vast project.

Aerial photo of the DFW Airport Terminal D with Inverted Seam roof system.

Energy Efficiency

The Zahner Inverted Seam roof is part of the total low-energy solution for the project, reducing the cooling costs by more than 90 percent during peak electrical demand hours. The Terminal D development program includes design of the airport’s central thermal storage tank, a structure that utilizes less expensive electricity at night to create a store of ice to cool the terminal during daytime hours when rates are higher. The project was reviewed by the Clean Airport Initiative team of experts to evaluate incorporated features of sustainable design and to use it as a case study for upcoming guidelines for sustainable airport design.

Zahner roofing team installs the stainless steel skins on the DFW Terminal D roof.

Aerial photograph of the DFW Terminal D.

Zahner field installation crew during construction of the Inverted Seam roof system.

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.

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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.

Signage for Cerner Headquarters Vision Center Forum Portals

The Cerner Corporation World Headquarters is designed by Gould Evans and features Zahner-manfufactured signage systems. Zahner produced this uniquely perforated stainless steel sculpture and sign for the Cerner Corporation in North Kansas City.

Two sculptural navigational displays were built: a small corner entrance sign adjacent to the building’s main entrance, and a large signage system visible from the nearby highway. This larger sign features an illuminated Cerner logo mounted on the perforated stainless steel screen wall.

Each of the displays were fabricated by Zahner using ZIRA, a patented technology developed by Zahner creating perforated imagery. The architects and client designed a non-repeating pattern of 1’s and 0’s, binary code in a non-repeating pattern. Zahner developed a process to rapidly punch the numbers using multiple dies.

Detail of the perforated metal signage system at Cerner Headquarters.

Cerner signage wall at the Cerner World Headquarters.

Detail of the perforated metal system used for Cerner Headquarters.

Detail of the Cerner World Headquarters signage wall.

The larger of the two displays, visible from the end of 210 Highway in North Kansas City, was produced with lighting systems embedded in the aluminum and stainless steel framework. Pictured above and below are photos of the signage at night, and during the day. As cars drive by, it appears to flash and animate due to the lights parallactic relationship with the perforations.

The complete system for the 61′ long sign structure comprises 72 panels supported vertically by stainless steel structural fins of varying depth and shape. Each panel is constructed from 18-gauge stainless steel, with a perforation pattern generated from a random sequence of binary code.

The display closest to the building features a DNA strand within the sign, visible as an orange tube. The structure was built with 1/4″ aluminum fins, attached to square tubes which create the sign’s profile. The face of the fins were installed with 14 gauge Angel Hair Stainless steel panels.

Additional metal signage at Cerner Headquarters.

Fabricating the Cerner Signs

The sculptural sign was custom perforated from stainless steel plates using binary code to create the pattern. The surface is an array of 1’s and 0’s randomly placed across the plates of stainless steel.

Below are photos from the Zahner shop in Kansas City, where the material for each display was formed. Each panel was perforated using dies custom-made for the project. Together with the automated punches allowed the fabricators on the shop floor to quickly assemble components after being produced on the computer-controlled punch.