Georgia BioScience Training Center clad in Cambridge Architectural metal mesh
We infused stainless steel into the exterior design to capture the performance benefits of shading while expressing the connections of the system which enhance the client’s brand of a decidedly hi-tech facility. Nathan Williamson, Cooper Carry
Cambridge, Maryland (PRWEB) October 26, 2015
Cambridge Architectural metal mesh is a striking feature in the exterior and interior design of the new $14 million Georgia BioScience Training Center, which opened in September 2015. Operated by Georgia Quick Start, the Center supports research, technology transfer and workforce development critical to bio manufacturing, including support for the adjacent Baxalta immunoglobulin therapies plant under construction.
In addition to providing customized workforce training for Baxalta and other companies, the Center is a leading edge incubator and recruitment tool for Georgia to lure additional firms in the global biosciences industry.
“This is the beginning of a new era in Georgia, to say to the world and to the pharmaceutical industry and others that Georgia is friendly to bioscience,” Governor Nathan Deal told the Atlanta Journal Constitution at the Center’s opening.
The majority of Georgia BioScience’s exterior is clad with Lanier, a new custom-weaved rigid mesh pattern from Cambridge Architectural. A total of 149 mesh panels – covering 10,900 square feet – provide a state-of-the-art appearance while shading interior lobbies, classrooms and laboratories from the Georgia sun.
“We infused stainless steel into the exterior design to capture the performance benefits of shading while expressing the connections of the system which enhance the client’s brand of a decidedly hi-tech facility, said Nathan Williamson, project designer for Cooper Carry. The mesh delaminates from the main façade with facets and plane changes to provide a dynamic, crystalline aesthetic with ever changing shadows and reflections that suggest a sense of movement.”
At night, the mesh is a backdrop for a wall wash of LED lighting that glistens in a variety of colors, according to Williamson.
Lanier – named for the Georgia's Lake Lanier – is the 23rd rigid mesh pattern in Cambridge’s portfolio.
Williamson said Cooper Carry selected the pattern because it has a tighter weave – 50% open area in the case of Georgia BioScience – that leads to better energy performance. The mesh is attached to the structure using Cambridge’s Clevis in-tension system.
Cambridge Architectural National Sales Manager David Zeitlin said Lanier’s open area can be expanded for use on other building projects.
“We know that architects are seeking flexibility and looking for mesh choices that create a more stimulating visual appearance while providing options for varying degrees of light passage,” he said. “We are excited to introduce Lanier to the building products industry by showcasing its signature position in this stand out project.”
Inside Georgia BioScience, Matte, a Cambridge flexible mesh pattern similar to Lanier, is used for solar shading and visual screening. It surrounds an open air, elliptical courtyard that is the initial vista when entering the facility. Mesh also provides screening for the Center’s main conference room. An Eyebolt system is used to attach the mesh on the building’s interior.
Georgia BioScience Training Center
Owner: Georgia Quick Start, a division of the technical college system of Georgia
Location: Social Circle, Georgia
Architect: Cooper Carry (Atlanta)
General Contractor: Whiting-Turner (Atlanta)
Installer: L&S Erectors, Inc. (Litchfield, Ohio)
Completion Date: September 2015
About Cambridge Architectural
Cambridge Architectural, a division of U.S. Cambridge, Maryland-based Cambridge International, is the most experienced full-service provider of architectural mesh systems for both interior and exterior building applications. As the world leader in tensioned mesh systems, Cambridge Architectural metal fabric solutions lend unique aesthetic appeal, functionality, affordability and sustainable benefits to a variety of structures interior and exterior. Cambridge Architectural offers full system design, engineering and collaboration from concept through installation – in the most challenging building environments and under the strictest budgets. Cambridge Architectural metal fabric systems are categorized by the primary applications they serve, including parking structures, exterior shades, facades, canopies, curtains and others. As a member of the United States Green Building Council, Cambridge Architectural is committed to promoting methods, technology and products resulting in environmentally responsible and healthy buildings. The Cambridge Architectural team develops systems that meet or exceed LEED requirements and provides consultation and direction on a project-by-project basis. Visit http://www.CambridgeArchitectural.com for more information.
