Honorable MentionSubmitted by:
Larry Enyart, FAIA, LEED AP
LEA-Architects, LLC
1730 E. Northern Ave., Suite 110
Phoenix, AZ 85020
602-943-7511
lenyart@lea-architects.comGlendale Regional Public Safety Training Center
Perforated Material:
Exterior: large canopies, various screen locations, steel detailInterior: counters, classrooms
The Glendale Regional Public Safety Training Center (GRPSTC) heavily incorporates the application of perforated metals in many different ways. Perforated Metal was utilized on the exterior building for canopies and to accent steel detail and other various locations. The interior integrates perforated metal on countertops and in the classrooms.
Exterior:
Perforated metal is used in multiple details on the exterior of the GRPSTC. The first two locations that visitors are likely to encounter are at the project and entry sign walls. Perforated metal is used at these locations to provide a mass that conceals the support structure for the steel fins while avoids creating a large and opaque metal or EIFS mass.
At the large masonry piers on both the entry and training facades of the building, perforated metal is used as a visual accent at the column capitals. Perforated metal is used at these large steel "V"s to provide a visual infill plane while being translucent enough to see details or sky through the fill. The appearance of these column capitals varies greatly depending on time of day and amount of sunlight, providing some visual dynamics at these important locations. These infills also provide shade along the outdoor gathering spaces, providing some relief from the sun as well as visually interesting shadows on the floors and walls.
On the north elevation, at the bottom of the same masonry piers mentioned above, perforated metal is used for multiple requirements at a patio space. First and foremost, perforated metal is used in both the walls and ceiling conditions to provide a secured outdoor space. In addition to providing physical security for this patio space, perforated metal also provides a visual barrier that prevents someone from looking through the perforated metal, through a window, and into the building beyond. Since the outdoor patio is required to be secure, perforated metal allows for some light and ventilation to filter through while preventing direct sun or gusts of wind into the space. The reduction in light allowed windows to be located in the wall behind the perf to provide sunlight to the interior spaces while strictly limiting or eliminating the potential for glare on computer screens.
Along the south and west sides of the building there are numerous shading canopies located over the larger expanses of glass into the circulation spaces of the building. These canopies are comprised of a tubular steel frame covered with perforated metal panels. This allows some light to filter through, which creates a complex series of shadows that are a combination of the translucent perforated metal with the solid structure of the canopies. These shadows are visible both from the exterior of the building as well as along the interior circulation spaces they protect. Despite the visible contrast in shadows, the two layers of perforated metal the sun passes through strongly diminishes the impact of the solar heat gain inside the building, and reduces the HVAC requirements in the large circulation spaces of the building.
Another location of the building that uses large quantities of perforated metals is the Central Plant / Mechanical yard. Along the main elevation, visible from the major circulation past and to the site, perforated metal is used as a visual screen between the public areas of the project and the secured mechanical yard. By using perforated metal in this condition, the masonry wall was able to be to be staggered to provide visual interest, ventilation to the yard, and security for the equipment behind the wall. On the opposite side of the central plant, extensive amounts of perforated metal are used to screen the large cooling towers required for the large facility. Perforated metal was used in this condition in lieu of mechanical louvers, partially for cost and partially to use a material already used throughout the project. The resulting perforated metal panels not only meet the ventilation requirements for the equipment, but also blend in with the perforated metal applications elsewhere across the site.
Interior:
At the interior of the GRPSTC, perforated metal is used in two prominent locations. The first is the lobby, where it is used to screen functional elements. First, it is used at the reception desk both as an accent as a visual screen. Perforated metal is used between the counter top and the transaction counter to screen the back of the computer monitors, CCTV screens, and communication systems required to provide security throughout the facility. The vertical metal braces are also infilled with perforated metal, to echo the detail used at the exterior column capitals, just outside of the entry. Perforated metal is also used to screen the mechanical diffusers on the pitched soffits in the lobby, providing an aesthetic buffer for the otherwise distracting registers. Lastly, the linear ceiling uses a perforated metal style. While this is not immediately noticeable visually, it is one of the primary acoustic limiting elements located in this large and open volume.
The second interior location perforated metal is used inside the facility is at the large lecture hall. Perforated metal is used as a privacy screen below the desks in the tiered classroom. Since the student side of the desk is always in shadow, this provides the required visual obstruction in addition to providing an elevation of materials that commonly used throughout the project.
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