The new Animal Care and Protective Services building in Jacksonville, FL is the city’s first LEED-certified project.  The 41,000 sq. ft. facility is situated on a reclaimed brownfield site and has received LEED Gold Certification.

The design-build project was a collaboration of Ebert Norman Brady Architects and Auld & White Constructors.  Both firms are located in Jacksonville.  The new facility, which replaced an aging and overcrowded shelter, offers increased capacity and quality of care, adoption areas, medical treatment areas and public education space.

“We wanted the building to be modern and eye-catching since it’s very visible from the intersection of I-95 and I-10,” said Tom Norman, project manager and designer with Ebert Norman Brady.

Approximately 12,500 sq. ft. of 24 gauge PAC-CLAD 7.2” Rib and Perforated 7.2” Rib panels helped to accomplish the design objectives.  The panels were finished in Cardinal Red, Weathered Zinc and Interstate Blue.

“There were stringent budget parameters that required very careful selection of all materials,” according to Norman.  “The majority of the building where the animals are housed utilized single block concrete to stand up to the daily maintenance of washing down the floor and walls.  But in the administrative and public areas, we rejected stucco which is commonly used in this part of the country.  We selected metal panels to give us the contemporary, state-of-the-art look we wanted for the high profile site.  We’re hopeful that having a great looking building will provide a reminder for people to visit the shelter and consider adopting an animal.”

The 7.2 panels offer heavy horizontal shadow lines that were appealing for the low-slung building.  “We also punched the panels through to the interior reception area,” Norman said.  “The colors and materials give a nice definition to the various function areas.”

The PAC-CLAD 7.2 panels also provide a rainscreen barrier.  “The use of the metal panels provides both practicality and image,” reports Norman.  “When the project manager for the City of Jacksonville first toured the completed job, he said ‘man, this looks fantastic’.”

Installation of the Petersen panels was done by Thorne Metal Systems, Orange Park, FL.

Long-recognized as an industry leader in metal standing seam roofing products, Petersen also offers exposed fastener panels, flush panels, composite wall panels and column covers.  All provide the well-known Petersen quality and are available in PAC-CLAD® Kynar 500® finish in 38 standard colors on steel and aluminum.  Most colors meet LEED®, ENERGY STAR® and cool roof certification requirements.

For more information on the complete line of Petersen metal products, call 800-PAC-CLAD or visit www.pac-clad.com.

Over the past 25 years, I’ve been pleased to see the increasing amount of metal construction products—metal building systems, cold-formed steel stud framing, metal roofing and metal wall panels—that are being used in health care construction sectors, both for new projects and retrofit/renovation. This includes everything from single-practice offices to well-known, multi-story hospitals. In my opinion, there’s a vast potential for metal products in this growing market segment.

Let’s face it, as members of the Baby Boomer generation continue to march into their retirement years, there are going to be more ailments that require medical treatment. At the same time, due to an increased emphasis on preventative care, we’re likely to see growing numbers of younger people making regular visits to health care professionals. One thing for certain is that the need for health care facilities has seen remarkable growth over the past decade or two, and there is no apparent end in sight to the need for additional facilities.

With a tremendous amount of benefits to offer—from low life-cycle costs to environmental benefits to aesthetics—metal construction products appear poised to play key roles in future health care projects.

Shawn Zuver
editorial/content director
shawnz@designandbuildwithmetal.com
DesignandBuildwithMetal.com