Colorful Metal Inspiration

Playful sections of bright blue metal roof welcome visitors to the Altgeld Family Resource Center on Chicago's far South Side. Photo: hortonphotoinc.com

Designing with architectural metal provides the opportunity to use a wide range of durable, low-maintenance colors and finishes that don't dull or degrade over time. You can make a bold color statement, or even emulate materials such as wood and natural metals. In the following case studies, designers used color to make these structures stand out, using each building's purpose and surroundings as inspiration for their color choices.

The Altgeld Gardens public housing complex on Chicago's far South Side was built as a community for returning black veterans after World War II, but severe environmental hazards in the area led to decades of health problems for its residents. These issues were addressed in one of the founding efforts of the environmental justice movement. The city is now revitalizing the development, which includes the Altgeld Family Resource Center as a new gateway facility. Its wavy façade and oversized windows emphasize a sense of welcome and fun that's underscored in the design of two interior courtyards clad in sky-blue metal wall panels. Designers with the local firm Koo wanted to ensure playfulness was a part of the 40,000-sq.-ft. plan, which includes a Chicago Public Library branch, a childcare center offering pre-K education and a community center with meeting rooms. The building is also "net-zero ready", meaning that if the Chicago Housing Authority adds a solar array, it will be energy-neutral. Using the PAC-CLAD Snap-Clad metal roofing system as wall cladding, Progressive Dynamics, based in Streamwood, Ill., installed custom Dynamic Blue finish panels vertically to give the confined areas a feeling of height.

Families staying at the Cincinnati Ronald McDonald House can recharge and rest in a remodeled facility with bright PAC-CLAD Flush metal wall panel elements in Patina Green, Teal, and custom Parakeet Yellow. Scott Kyle, an associate with GBBN Architects and designer on the project shares, "The resulting exterior design included a more rectilinear, masonry, regular-windowed street-style façade coupled with a more organic, playful colorful metal-panel courtyard façade. The courtyard façade took its cues from the life-affirming garden elements of the courtyard." Much thought went into the patterning of the metal panels. According to Kyle, "The large façade surfaces are broken down to smaller, scalable modules to make up the playful whole. The panelization also takes into account standard panel lengths, installation methods and expansion and contraction – the horizontal joints incorporated into the system illustrate this integration." PAC-CLAD Flush wall panels in Cityscape, a neutral gray, provide a soothing background and contrast with the bright colors.

The Alma Brewer Strawn Elementary School in Lytton Springs, Texas, serves 500 pre-K through 5th grade students. Designers with Huckabee in Austin, Texas chose PAC-CLAD flush metal wall panels in three bold reds: Cardinal Red, Colonial Red and Burgundy. Brian Cotsworth, Huckabee project manager explains, "We liked the playfulness of the random red panels for this elementary school application. And the metal panels also helped bring down the scale of the building. The profiles really complement one another and blend well with the limestone on the lower level." Huckabee incorporated additional texture and color in the façade with Slate Gray PAC-CLAD HWP ribbed panels, installed horizontally.

Learn more about the wide range of PAC-CLAD standard color and finish options, and our outstanding non-prorated 30-year finish warranty, and let color inspire your next great design. Want a personalized consultation? Contact your local representative or schedule a virtual meeting today!

CONTACT: Phone: 800-PAC-CLADEmail: [email protected]: PAC-CLAD.com

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