As every architect and professional working in the building industry knows, construction is a labor intensive and time consuming process. Expected difficulties with construction and installation can be compounded by unforeseen delays caused by mechanical errors, political or economic circumstances, or even weather. As such, some of the best construction products on the market work to minimize installation times and labor. BŌK Modern's Structurally Integrated Metal Panel System, for example, reduces installation time in the field and minimizes redundant supporting structural elements, which allows for savings in both materials and in the high cost of field labor. At the same time, their panel system provides superior customizability, making them ideal for a variety of different architectural and construction needs.
Each panel is created by folding structural elements directly into a metal sheet, thus eliminating the need for many secondary posts and other structural members. The panels can be either solid or laser cut with an infinite variety of patterns. There is typically no welding involved and installation is simplified compared to other types of façade panels. Panels can be fabricated from most any sheet metal material and a wide variety of finishes can be applied. Panels can be large scale and formed in a vast array of configurations and perforations—making for a truly customizable product.
In the case of the 2019 expansion of the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco by SOM Architects, a system of staggered Structurally Integrated Metal Panels creates a rigid, multi-story architectural scrim of 1/8” thick, laser cut aluminum that is suspended primarily from the eave line and only lightly ‘pinned’ off from the structure. For this project, engineering studies determined that by simply increasing the fold depth from BŌK’s typical 2” deep panel to 3”, and by staggering the panels—allowing the horizontal joints of two adjacent panels to be ‘spliced’—, a very stiff assembly could be created, allowing for large spans over 20 feet. This solution eliminated the heavy and expensive structural grid backing system that had been originally designed for the screen, resulting in almost $2 million in savings and eliminating the need for the multitude of penetrations into the building’s exterior skin.
Structurally Integrated Metal Panels are also very effective for parking garage applications, as they provide both screening of vehicles and fall protection for pedestrians. Due to their inherent strength, the standalone panels can be attached directly to the structure only at the floor levels with simple Unistrut or Halfen embeds in the concrete slab edge. This allows for clean and rapid installation as no additional structural secondary members are required.
An additional advantage of these panels is their ability to eliminate protruding exhaust and make up air outlets on the exterior of a façade. Strategically introducing laser cut patterns to the panels in front of a standard, inexpensive flush grille can give any façade an elegant, tailored appearance.
One of the best examples of an applied Structurally Integrated Metal Panel System is at the Pacifica Brewing Facility in Pacifica, California. Here, both the façade and roof of the building system, as well as the structural components, are made up entirely of BŌK Modern's 4” deep, 14-gauge, Cor-Ten steel panels.
The complete structure, delivered to the site in 10 flat-packed crates, was fully erected in less than three weeks. BŌK’s Structurally Integrated Metal Panels integrated the structural walls and exterior finish ‘skin,’ the rolling barn doors and security gates, and the signature structural ‘Z’ shaped roof panels and its water shedding and staggered panel structural system—all for a unified and modern look. Other than the panels, the only products necessary to complete the building envelope were the windows and doors. The interior wall finish, which had to be restaurant code, attached directly to BŌK’s integrated panel folds, thus completing the structure. As this project demonstrates, the Structurally Integrated Metal Panel System has great potential for seamless, painless, and yet aesthetically pleasing and flexible construction.
