Parking Structure

UCSF Parking Structure

UCSF Mission Bay Medical Center Parking Structure

The new parking structure for the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) enhances the design aesthetic of both the UCSF Campus and the surrounding Mission Bay neighborhood. The ten-story parking facility was completed in September 2012 with WRNS Studio Architects and Rudolph & Sletten as a design build competition winner.

Like many of the facades Zahner has produced, the project’s budget was restrictive and required intelligent design maneuvering to meet the architects’ unique and compelling vision. The preset price per square foot was based on competition restrictions, so the elaborate design had to be streamlined to efficiently fabricate, ship, and install the facade. Zahner met this challenge without compromising the design.

Related Project

Contemporary Jewish Museum

3,028 sheets of blue iridescent cross-fire interference stainless steel clad the surface of the museum, which is formed in the shape modeled off of the Hebrew script for 'L'Chaim' which translates 'To Life'.

UCSF Mission Bay Medical Garage at dusk.

Details of the perforated surface of the UCSF Mission Bay Garage.

Facade Design for Parking System at UCSF

When WRNS first approached Zahner, the architects had recently completed the schematic design phase. They had not yet won the design build competition, and WRNS knew they would have a constrained budget to produce the exterior facade system for their design. They needed a facade supplier who could commit to the design and budget prior to contract.

There is increased risk to commit to a design and budget during a competition, but this approach was possible because of the two firm’s relationship built on trust. Prior to this project, Zahner had worked with WRNS Studio on two successful projects (Contemporary Jewish Museum and the Block 27 Parking Structure). Zahner agreed to sketch preliminary designs and worked out a design plan with the architects to meet their budget.

The unconventional design approach meant that Zahner was preselected for the project when WRNS won the design competition. By definition, Zahner became part of the architect’s team. There was no bidding process to determine the facade installers, and their winning entry was contingent on the supply and install by Zahner at the predetermined price per square foot.

The design solution for the UCSF Parking Garage

The architect’s design posed particular challenges in coordination with steel and installation of extruding vertical fins around the structure as well as the layout and coordination of perforated patterns. Zahner’s solution made use of a common part, an anodized aluminum louver blade which was placed at variating angles to achieve visual vibrancy.

Determining the angles required consideration of design aesthetic, functionality, and economy. The architects selected angles that would bounce the sun’s light the garage to provide natural lighting. The team determined that the design could achieve a sophisticated look requiring the use of only five repeating panels throughout the structure.

Photograph of the storage facility, which shows the 4,400 fins used for UCSF.

Drawing shows the five repeating assemblies for the UCSF Parking Garage.

Crated panels for the UCSF Mission Bay Medical Garage.

UCSF Mission Bay Medical Garage in Construction.

These five unique but repeating panels were optimized by the Zahner Assist team for production and installation. Zahner was able to automate the changing angle of the blades using CNC production, resulting in a series of 8′ bays. This collaborative approach with WRNS Studio influenced the design’s functionality as it evolved, steering the engineering towards greater efficiency and lowered cost.

Because of the prior relationship built on trust with the architect, Zahner was able to commit to a very aggressive budget well before construction documents existed. This arrangement resulted in a tremendous value to the client. The architects’ design intent was fully maintained; and in some cases enhanced, while a strict budget and schedule were kept.

Standard Parking

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Parking Structure Kansas City George Butler Architects Grey, Silver L 2001 /by cmorris

Standard Parking Garage at 11th & Oak

Designed by George Butler Architects for the Power & Light District of Downtown Kansas City, this is a parking structure’s facade was constructed using stainless steel as well as perforated aluminum surface to allow airflow for an otherwise congested space.

The aluminum screen wall was engineered, custom perforated, and installed as an facade panel system. The system also has uses for unusual panel sizes and unique details, as was the case with Standard Parking. Each of the panels was installed using an the Inverted Seam dry-joint system for integrated walls. The cornice and bold stainless steel fins were engineered, fabricated and installed to digitally defined coordinates.

Four massive stainless steel-clad fins rise at the building's center.

Standard Parking Garage at 11th and Oak.

Standard Parking Garage During Construction.

Interior staircase details at Standard Parking Garage in Kansas City.

West elevation of Standard Parking Garage in Kansas City.

Detail of the Angel Hair® surface used on the stainless steel fins.

Detail of the stainless steel fins with Angel Hair® Stainless Steel.

Interior mullion attachment for the perforated metal aluminum panels.

Building the Standard Parking Garage

Zahner developed the design for Standard Parking Garage using drop and lock details to enable quick and simple installation. Each of the panels locks into anchored connections on the concrete structure. This enabled a rapid schedule for the project’s facade.

The above photographs were more than a decade after the project’s completion. Stainless steel is often chosen over aluminum due to its high-performance sheen which never dulls and requires no maintenance. Aluminum is more porous, and over time it begins to dull, but this is not yet the case with Standard Parking Garage screen-wall.

The Petersen

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Automotive, Museum, Parking Structure Los Angeles--California Kohn Pedersen Fox Red, Silver L, XL 2015 Featured, Related Work /by cmorris

The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California:

Situated on Los Angeles’ famous Miracle Mile, the newly renovated Petersen Automotive Museum has achieved an iconic status while creating open spaces which invite community engagement. The design encases the building in a red-painted corrugated aluminum rainscreen system which acts as the backdrop for a series of stainless steel structural ribbons. These scopes were engineered, manufactured, and installed by Zahner.

Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) in New York with the construction management by Matt Construction in Los Angeles, Zahner was brought onto the project early on in the planning and development process. Starting under a Zahner Assist (Design Assist) contract, the construction team developed a fabrication and installation strategy with the engineers at Zahner.

This is the second project completed by Zahner with KPF. The two teams worked together prior on the IBM Headquarters in Armonk, New York.

Related Project

IBM Headquarters

Nestled within a landscape of 450 wooded, rocky acres some 50 miles from Manhattan, the IBM World Headquarters exemplifies KPF’s demonstrated ability to respond to the natural context and produce an innovative work of architecture. Completed in 1997, the headquarters is the centerpiece of an existing corporate campus in this wooded setting with deep ravines slicing through the landscape.

Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California.

Making the Petersen Automotive Museum

Design development for the Petersen Automotive Museum began in 2012. Principal Trent Tesch knew that the complex shapes would be best defined under a Design Assist contract with Zahner. Examining the forms gave the team an opportunity to approach their design with as much information as possible. Zahner Assist enabled KPF to bring the client into a conversation with Zahner.

Sharing models and preliminary drawings while the design was still conceptual allowed for conversations regarding costs and aesthetics to remain transparent, assisting the client during the decision making process.

The project made use of several Zahner technologies and methodologies: the ZEPPS Process for designing and manufacturing the building’s curved forms; the Angel Hair non-directional surfacing applied to each of the stainless steel skins attached to the curved forms; and Zahner Assist, Zahner’s method for developing complex projects into factory-produced realities. The project also includes an ImageWall custom perforated metal screen which continues the architect’s design, mimicking the stainless ribbons in a perforated metal graphic across the building’s parking structure. The Petersen Automotive Museum is the direct result of a design team confidently departing from convention.

Perforated metal screenwall by Zahner continues the Petersen Automotive Museum's sculptural motif.

Underneath the undulating ribbon facade of the Petersen Automotive Museum.

A perforated parking garage facade continues the stainless steel ribbon motif.

Detail of the facade of the Petersen Automotive Museum.

Design Assist Mockup for the Petersen Automotive Museum.

Design Assist Mockup at dusk for the Petersen Automotive Museum.

The Mock Up as a Design Catalyst

As part of the Zahner Assist contract, we included a to-scale visual mockup. Mockups are included as part of this process in order to aid in design decision making and determine the best method for building any given form. The team selected the lower northeast corner of the building’s design to fabricate as a mockup section. This empowered the design team to determine how the ribbons would wrap around the corner, an integral aspect of the building’s design.

The mockup process provided Zahner crucial insight into how to best develop the red-painted structural steel armatures which are used throughout the project. The mockup also helped the design team establish the ideal color for the painted corrugated aluminum surface.

Zahner installers hang a ZEPPS Ribbon Assembly at the Petersen Automotive Museum.

Zahner fabricators create the ZEPPS Ribbon assemblies for the Petersen Automotive Museum.

3D Model of a single ZEPPS Assembly for the Petersen Automotive Museum.

Zahner field installers at the construction site for the Petersen Automotive Museum.

Creating the new Petersen Automotive Museum facade

The existing building, purchased by the Petersen Automotive Museum in 1994, was rectilinear and fairly straightforward in form. It was originally a department store. Six years after the store closed, museum founder Robert Petersen chose the site to house his automotive museum. Since the Museum is nearly devoid of windows, the site was ideal for safely housing Mr. Petersen’s collection without harmful exposure to sunlight.

Because the existing building contained very little glass and was box-like in form, it acted as a blank canvas for the design team. ZEPPS, the Zahner system for developing sculptural forms, was used to build curving stainless steel ‘ribbons’ which wrap the building, giving it a feeling of rapid motion. The result looks similar to the aerodynamic flow diagrams drawn in wind tunnel tests by automotive designers.

Using ZEPPS to Create Dual-Curving Forms

To build complex dual curving forms with the lightest structural loads, Zahner uses the ZEPPS process. ZEPPS stands for Zahner Engineered Profiled Panel Systems, and comprises Zahner’s approach to building complex, curvilinear forms. The crux of the system is the paring down of a complex design into manageable parts for manufacturing.

Using an architect’s 3D model, Zahner’s engineers examine geometry with a manufacturing mindset. Each curve is analyzed and developed into a series of patented aluminum structural components. These components are pre-assembled at the shop and compose the structural form for each ZEPPS Asssembly. Using aluminum extrusions rather than steel allows for a lighter load on the structure of the façade, and also allows for more economical fabrication methods.

The final step in creating with ZEPPS is to clad it in surface material. For the Petersen Automotive Museum, Zahner’s Angel Hair Stainless Steel surface was selected. After the structure is built, each ZEPPS is clad in the desired metal, and loaded onto a truck for field install. By breaking dual curves into units, ZEPPS creates precision within the manufacturing process, and allows for much quicker field installation.

Detail of the Petersen Automotive Museum's Angel Hair Stainless steel.

View of Wilshire Blvd during the construction of the Petersen.

Screenwall at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California.

Underneath the Roof of the Petersen Automotive Museum.

Structural Steel

A new structural steel exoskeleton was needed to carry the loads from the red corrugated rainscreen as well as the cantilevered stainless steel ribbons which arch over the rooftop to provide shading for a private event space.

Working with the designers’ 3D models, Zahner’s team of engineers developed a series of tree-like forms in structural steel to support the ZEPPS Ribbon assemblies. The structural steel skeleton was inspired by hot rod manifolds to serve the dual purpose of providing aesthetic cohesiveness as well as functional support for cantilevered elements of the design. The structural ‘trees’ support the ribbons that flow over the roof area, as well as the Fairfax Ave ground level ribbons.

The ZEPPS ribbons required custom curved structural steel within each unit. Zahner mapped out each curved radius using the 3D model, allowing for fabrication in the shop to be handled quickly and precisely.

Custom Corrugated Aluminum

Painted aluminum acts as the backdrop for the stainless steel ZEPPS forms, echoing the concept of a sports car in bright red intensity. The aluminum was completely custom, and unlike any standard corrugated pattern. The corrugated profile formed an exact 90 degree angle, versus the typical sine wave that is commonly seen in corrugated metals.

To accommodate for the custom nature of this design element, Zahner formed each of the corrugated panels in house, utilizing a custom die within the press brake.

ImageWall Screenwall for the Petersen Parking Enclosure

As a continuation of the stainless steel ribbons, the design team also selected a painted red aluminum ImageWall for the Museum’s Parking Garage. Using Zahner’s patented technology, ImageWall uses perforated holes to map an image across multiple panels. In this case, the image provides cohesiveness, and ties the parking garage in with the larger facade.

ImageWall Screenwall enclosing the Parking Structure of the Petersen Automotive Museum.

Detail of the screenwall facade of the Petersen Automotive Museum.

Parking Structure Screenwall at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California.

Leong Leong Facade

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Parking Structure Miami--Florida Leong Leong, TimHaahs Gold L 2015 /by cmorris

City View Garage, Miami Design District

Part of a sweeping development of the Buena Vista neighborhood in Miami envisioned by Craig Robins of Dacra, the Western facade for the City View Garage was designed by Leong Leong for Miami Design District, conceived by office director Christopher Leong.

The Miami City View Garage is a parking structure which brought together three unique facades all under one roof. Working with Brad Giresi and Vernon Jones of Tim Haas Architects + Engineers, the three facade teams are: Leong Leong (featured here), artist John Baldessari, and IwamotoScott Architects.

The teams met with Zahner and developed architectural models and mockups before moving into production. Each facade had its own design challenges, which is where Zahner’s engineering and fabrication team played a technical role.

Leong Leong facade for the Miami City View Garage.

“

A surface that simultaneously radiates and dissolves.

Chris LeongFounding Partner at Leong Leong

From inside the garage, the wave-like shapes of the openings create a patterned view of the city. The openings in the facade maintain natural light and ventilation in the parking structure. The pattern of openings transforms this functional requirement into an iconic urban object.

City View Garage in Miami’s Design District Features 3 Iconic Facades by Zahner

Zahner was brought on board by the lead architect, Tim Haas, to assist in the design engineering, fabrication, and installation of all three distinct facades on the City View Garage. We worked closely with the featured designers - Leong Leong, IwamotoScott Architecture, and renowned artist John Baldessari - to capture the essence of each unique design in a way that was both functional and impactful.

The prominent location of the City View Garage on the periphery of the Design District neighborhood and its adjacency to the I-195 freeway marks the building as a prominent landmark. From the freeway, the western façade appears as a shimmering mirage. At street level, folded fins generate textures that echo the forms of surrounding palms.

Leong Leong facade for the Miami City View Garage.

Photo © A. Zahner Co.

Developing the Design with architects at Leong Leong

Zahner worked with Leong Leong from the early stages of the project, making visits to their New York City office, as well as providing a Design Assist phase to properly detail the facade system. The process yielded multiple mockups, including a full-scale elevated mockup at the Kansas City facility.

Related System

Leong Leong Facade

The surface is composed of curvilinear shapes, punched and bent out of gold-colored, titanium-coated stainless steel. From a distance, they produce a texture that mimics the shimmering patterns of light on the surface of water. The variegated pattern absorbs the qualities of the environment and disrupts the legibility of the form.

From left: Lisa Iwamoto, Chris Leong, Brad Giresi, Bill Zahner, look at material samples in the Zahner library.

First mockup for the Leong Leong facade at Miami City View Garage.

Photo © A. Zahner Co.

The design team views the mockup for Miami City View Garage for the first time.

Photo © A. Zahner Co.

Photo of installers hanging wrapped panels for the Leong Leong facade

Leong Leong facade installed for the Miami City View Garage.

Photo © A. Zahner Co.

Leong Leong facade for the Miami City View Garage.

Photo © A. Zahner Co.

Leong Leong facade for the Miami City View Garage.

Photo © A. Zahner Co.

IwamotoScott

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Parking Structure Miami--Florida Iwamoto Scott, TimHaahs Blue, Blue-grey, Light blue L 2015 /by cmorris

City View Garage, Miami Design District

A geometric display of varying blue-toned aluminum skins adorns the Southeastern facade of the City View Garage in the Miami Design District. Designed by IwamotoScott Architecture, the Zahner-manufactured facade was developed in Kansas City and shipped as nesting parts to the job site in Miami, Florida. Zahner field installers hung the panels.

Sited along the Southern edge of the Miami Design District adjacent to I-195, the parking structure is part of a larger plan to bring arts, luxury, and culture into the new district. The main body of the building is a parking structure above a level of retail storefront and includes a small six story office block.

The building’s design averted the need for industrial ventilation of the parking area. IwamotoScott met this challenge with a modular decorative metal screen, whose mechanically-folded aluminum system features variously sized apertures to provide the required porosity for natural ventilation.

City View Garage with IwamotoScott facade.

IwamotoScott was commissioned alongside New York-based architects Leong Leong and Southern California-based artist John Baldessari, by Dacra and L Real Estate to create three unique facades for the City View Garage in Miami’s Design District. The IwamotoScott portion of the facade wraps around the parking structure’s Southeast corner and includes an elevator lobby, exterior stair, and the office block.

featuring Baldessari's artwork between the Leong Leong Facade and the IwamotoScott facade.

Photo of IwamotoScott Facade for the Miami Design District City View Garage

Detail of the IwamotoScott Facade for the Miami Design District City View Garage.

Photo © A. Zahner Co.

Interior detail view of the IwamotoScott Facade for the Miami Design District City View Garage

Interior and roof view of the IwamotoScott Facade for the Miami Design District City View Garage.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Photograph of the IwamotoScott Facade during construction, Miami Design District City View Garage.

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

Developing the IwamotoScott facade for City View Garage

There are five different repeating modules, which are custom-fabricated by Zahner using 40 panel types. Zahner developed the modular design using powercopies to programmatically control the design’s various parts in both the operational engineering, plant, and hanging in the field.

The aluminum parts were painted using a gradient coloring scheme, which provides a subtle gradation of its five unique aperture sizes, suspended from fins which cantilever from the edges of the garage’s concrete slabs.

Digital model of the IwamotoScott facade, color-coded to indicate its five repeating panel types.

IMAGE © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

Diagrams for the IwamotoScott Facade for the Miami Design District City View Garage.

IMAGE © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

Diagram of the 40 panel types used to create the IwamotoScott Facade at Miami Design District.

Images © A. Zahner Company.

Nested parts for the IwamotoScott facade in the Zahner Kansas City facility.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Example photo of the crated IwamotoScott facade parts used on the City View Garage

Zahner fabricator crates the aluminum parts for the IwamotoScott Facade.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Detail of the IwamotoScott Facade for the Miami Design District City View Garage.

Photo of the IwamotoScott Facade for the Miami Design District City View Garage

Eastern view of the IwamotoScott Facade for the Miami Design District City View Garage.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Upward view of the IwamotoScott Facade for the Miami Design District City View Garage.

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.

Hoover Garage

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Parking Structure Stanford--California WRNS Studio Gold L 2014 /by cmorris

HOOVER GARAGE AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY

In 2013, Zahner began working on a third project with WRNS Studio, the San Francisco architecture firm whose designs have played a transformative role on the parking garage typology.

The Hoover Garage parking structure is part of the Stanford Hospital and Clinics and was produced in association with Stanford University in California. The Hoover Parking Garage at Stanford University is a 1,100 stall garage which serves the Hoover Pavilion, a new medical office building for the University.

Hoover Garage is an open-air structure which uses a 3/16′ perforated and anodized aluminum surface. The back-side of the panels are cut and grooved at each corner of the panel to provide a more defined edge. The panels use a proprietary Drop & Lock panel technology, a feature of the Inverted Seam patent. This allows for flexible design and simple installation. Each panel is hung by inserts into the vertical extrusion.

Related Project

Mission Bay Parking

Located in the Mission Bay Block 27 of San Francisco, this design by WRNS Studio for Alexandria Real Estate, houses 1,420 parking spaces on seven elevated levels. The structure features a metal screen with perforated imagery of California's redwood forests. This facade was design-engineered by the Design Assist Group and produced by Zahner.

The perforated metal panel screen system at Stanford University Parking Garage.

The perforated metal panel's shadow creates a moire effect against the building's surface.

Perfectly Perforated

Over the early 1990's, patterned usage of perforated metal began to appear. At the time, the pattern were limited by programming. It wasn't until the early two-thousands, when Herzog & de Meuron designed the de Young Museum, that perforated metal would truly enter into its own.

Hoover Parking structure at dusk on the Stanford University Campus.

Developing the Design for the Hoover Garage

Zahner provided design assist as well as fabrication services to the general contractor Vance Brown Builders. While this was the first time Vance Brown and Zahner worked together, Zahner had a relationship with the architect as well as a well-known reputation for its successful track record on similar projects with WRNS Architects.

In addition to the perforated metal facade, Zahner also provided the vertical structure which allowed the design team to reduce the overall budget without changing the visual aesthetic.

In the original document, there was a vertical steel member between panels. The panels had a complex support system hanging off of the steel, so Zahner engineers introduced a custom extrusion that would reduce the redundancy. The architect selected the look of anodized aluminum extrusion Zahner provided over the painted steel.

Detail of the two-plane panel system used on the Stanford University Hoover Parking Structure.

Zahner designed, milled, and machined all of the connection points on the custom aluminum extrusions, which were provided to the steel contractor to install prior to installation of the Zahner perforated panels. This improved the aesthetic and durability without adding additional cost.

Owning the aluminum vertical structure also simplified the dual planes of the panel system. Zahner was able to reduce the parts for how the second plane of panels connects to the structure.

The perforated panel creates a moire effect against its shadow on the building's surface.

Stanford University Parking Garage during construction.

Construction photo of the perforated metal panel screen system at Stanford University Parking Garage.

The engineers at Zahner and the architects at the WRNS office enjoy an integrated relationship that continues to evolve and push the boundaries of what is possible to design and build with parking structures. Learn more about the WRNS designs for which Zahner has built systems, including the Alexandria Parking Structure, the Contemporary Jewish Museum, and the UCSF Parking Garage. See more projects completed by WRNS Studio with Zahner.

Fairmont Pacific Rim

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Hospitality, Parking Structure Canada, International, Vancouver BC James KM Cheng Architects L, M 2010 /by cmorris

Fairmont Pacific Rim in Downtown Vancouver BC, Canada

Located in downtown Vancouver, BC, Canada, a 44-story hotel was designed by James KM Cheng, just blocks from the Pacific Ocean. Zahner became involved when the architects opted for a perforated screen system which would disguise the first few floors of office and parking structures, while allowing light and air to enter through the thousands of tiny perforations.

What sets this perforated screen apart from standard fare is its unique surface design, a patterned perforated and bumped texture which subtly glistens across the surface. Architects wanted to solve two problems with one solution: creating a parking garage with an open air-flow, and an artistic facade surface that reflected the building’s natural surroundings.

Using Zahner’s patented ZIRA system, architects supplied Zahner with a photograph of the surrounding forest. The image was transferred onto the metal using perforations and dimples in the stainless steel. All across the building’s structure, trees create vertical lines running up and down the facade, and the forest emerges.

Fairmont Pacific Rim designed by James KM Cheng.

Translating the Image to Metal

The architect supplied a photograph of redwood trees taken in the surrounding nature of Vancouver, pictured below. The image was translated using software originally developed by Zahner for the de Young Museum in San Francisco.

The translated image data was applied across the metal surface algorithmically to account for panelization. Each of the perforated metal panels is designed with metal flange details that the ZIRA™ Process had to account for in the process of translating data. The image flows seamlessly across these panels and around the building’s corner edges.

Original Photograph supplied to Zahner for the ZIRA™ Visualizer Process.

The architects wanted to create a rippled effect with the metal, to create a surface both luxurious and functional. Using the ZIRA Process enables the architect to create this surface at a cost not much higher than a uniformly perforated surface.

No panel is the same, and the pattern never repeats itself across the stainless steel surface. Both the perforated surface as well as the bumped and dimpled texture were produced using a system of CNC-controlled punches and dies.

Detail of the custom perforated facade for Fairmont Pacific Rim.

Detail of the perforated metal facade on Fairmont Pacific Rim

Detail of the Fairmont Pacific Rim perforated panels and signage.

Cedar & Kettner

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Parking Structure San Diego--California IPD: International Parking Design Silver L 2015 /by cmorris

Cedar & Kettner Development, Little Italy Parking Structure

Cedar & Kettner Development Parking Structure is located in downtown San Diego and features a Zahner-manufactured CloudWall facade system. The striking new parking garage anchors the corner of Cedar Street and Kettner Boulevard in the Little Italy area of downtown San Diego.

The series of vertical facade fins were made using the Zahner-patented CloudWall™ system. These fins were installed using custom extruded channel embeds which were set in concrete. Zahner worked with McCarthy to coordinate the location for each embed. Bassett Construction was the installer, and came to the project with experience on several other Zahner jobs.

The 240,000 SF design-build garage provides 650 spaces with three levels below grade and six levels above, serving as both a work garage for employees of the County of San Diego, as well as night parking for events in the downtown area.

Cedar Kettner Parking Structure in San Diego, California.

PHOTO © CHANY PHOTOGRAPHY.

The design team visited Zahner’s Headquarters prior to working on the job, and experienced the CloudWall system installed on the building’s facade. The project was led by IPD, who served as the architect of record. The team worked with construction manager McCarthy Builders in San Diego, and Bassett in San Diego led the install team.

The CloudWall fins were designed and shaped using 3-D computer-generated studies which resulted in an undulating façade that visually changes based on the point of view and sun angle. This new structure promises more than just additional spaces to park.

The Cedar & Kettner Parking Structure improves the commuter experience, offering a canopy over the adjacent trolley platform. The hope is that by offering more space for visitors, the already vibrant tourism within Little Italy will have room to increase. The new parking building is a key structure towards bringing more construction for additional projects in San Diego.

Cedar Kettner Parking Structure in San Diego, California.

PHOTO © CHANY PHOTOGRAPHY.

Cedar Kettner Parking Structure in San Diego, California.

PHOTO © CHANY PHOTOGRAPHY.

Completed in 2015, this new building provides much needed parking for visitors in a bustling area of tourism. 645 new spaces to park give the county the ability to accommodate greater amounts of tourism, bolster the local economy, and look great while doing so.

Reminiscent of ripples in the San Diego Bay, the CloudWall surface follows the recently completed waterfront park. The facade encompasses the building’s seven above-ground levels. Three additional levels exist underground.

Cedar Kettner Parking Structure in San Diego, California.

PHOTO © CHANY PHOTOGRAPHY.

Switching from Phenolic Plastic to Aluminum Plate

The wave-like fins were originally designed as a phenolic plank system. Design authorities determined some environmental and combustion concerns with the phenolic material. In the interest of public safety and longevity of the surface, all parties agreed that the design needed to be revisited in another material.

Following initial discussions with the group, Zahner visited onsite with the city and county officials, architects, and general contractors. The team reviewed the design and determined the specifics for providing the desired aesthetic.

Clear anodized aluminum was selected for both the fins and the cross bracing. The aluminum’s light material weight allowed for the phenolic system to easily be replaced with metal, without any structural redesign. The economical cost of aluminum also helped to lighten any budgetary concerns.

Scaling the CloudWall System

Prior to the Cedar & Kettner project, the CloudWall system was limited to one or two-story buildings. This was due to limitations of material lengths for the aluminum hardware. The CloudWall system was modified and custom-engineered for the project to span the six-story Cedar & Kettner building. This was accomplished by dividing the metal components into two lengths.

Zahner built a mockup to test how the new components would fit together, and also to test lighting and color options for the client.

Mockup showing the connection between two vertical fins for Cedar Kettner.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Mockup for Cedar Kettner Parking Structure.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Mockup for Cedar Kettner Parking Structure.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Mockup with varying color palettes for Cedar Kettner.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Cedar Kettner Parking Structure in San Diego, California.

PHOTO © CHANY PHOTOGRAPHY.

Cedar Kettner Parking Structure in San Diego, California.

PHOTO © CHANY PHOTOGRAPHY.

Baldessari Facade

August 15, 2016/in Art & Sculpture, Exterior Architecture Parking Structure Miami--Florida TimHaahs John Baldessari Silver L 2015 /by cmorris

City View Garage, Miami Design District

Part of a sweeping development of the Miami Design District envisioned by Craig Robins of Dacra, the City View Garage features three unique visions on its facade, each design-engineered and manufactured by Zahner.

Between Leong Leong’s shimmering titanium-coated stainless steel facade, and IwamotoScott’s undulating generative aluminum facade, lies a permanent John Baldessari art installation-as-facade. In certain light, this massive canvas of stainless steel reveals a vivid rendering, created by circular perforations.

Baldessari’s vision was created using ImageWall, a Zahner patented process, which translated the artist’s imagery into a perforated panel system. The patented process was first developed by Zahner engineers for the de Young Museum as a means of visualizing imagery within the facade of a building. The automated system creates machine files for manufacturing functional, decorative metal sheets with patterned openings.

Parking garage facade designed by artist John Baldessari using ImageWall and Angel Hair Stainless Steel.

Imagery Decision

Baldessari’s original image portrays three figures enjoying games around a swimming pool and is part of the ‘Post-Studio’ conceptual art movement. Baldessari selected the image from his extensive collection of found production stills. Like much of the artist’s work, Fun One features a second element—Fun Two, located around the corner of the building, depicts a similar image of a woman balancing on a beach ball.