Signature tapered metal roof tops unique mixed-use project in Georgia

Alpharetta, Ga., is one of the Southeast United States’ fastest growing cities, combining a recently redeveloped downtown with a reputation as the “Technology City of the South.” It has been called the best small city in the United States to start a new business by the tech website NerdWallet. With a median age of just under 39, and an average household income of $143,000/year, the city also has a lot of school-age kids with parents willing to invest in educational opportunities.

The new Phase Family Center has ambitious plans for serving both these children and their parents in a single facility combining preschool and after-school support along with coworking and private offices and an event space. While most of the 60,000-sq.-ft. structure’s low-rise façade is corporate-neutral, a lighthouse-like structure with a clerestoried cupola acts as an easy-to-identify entrance. Its metal-paneled roof is an architectural highlight of the new development.

The circular roof of the entrance tower envisioned by architects with Atlanta-based Archetype Design LLC required the standing-seam roofing panels to be tapered. This led to the choice of a product from Petersen with its ability to fabricate panels to such a custom specification. In total, 3,000 sq. ft. of tapered Snap-Clad panels from the company’s PAC-CLAD line were specified for the project. The 24-gauge steel panels feature a Dark Bronze finish that complements the building’s neutral color palette of tan, rust and brown.

Of course, having the right product is only half the challenge when it comes to a successful installation. Fortunately, the roofing pros with Bone Dry Roofing in Bogart, Ga., had the expertise to handle the job. As Petersen’s rep in the region noted, “Tapered jobs are always hard to accurately field-measure – this was no exception.”