Alucoil’s larson metal composite material part of Washington, D.C., renovation project

The recent renovation of the Jack Valenti Building in Washington, D.C., included a complete transformation of the façade and its precast structural members. The new façade comprises Portuguese limestone, granite, curtain wall, and larson metal composite panels from Alucoil.

“Metal composite material was selected for its durability, system depth, and natural color selection,” said Robert Blabolil, senior associate and designer with Gensler D.C. “There was limited depth in which the design team had to fit within when recladding the existing structure. The use of the metal composite material ensured the team was able to maintain an optimized system profile depth that was relative to that of the historic building façade.”

Brawner Builders coordinated the delivery and handled the installation of the metal composite material, as well as the stone, curtainwall and glass for the façade. Brawner Senior Project Manager Eric McShane said there was a lot of prep work before façade materials were ordered.

“It’s a challenge dealing with existing slab and existing columns on a building erected in the ‘60s,” McShane said. “We did a 3D scan of the building to create a drawing of the building and then ordered everything to fit to that drawing. We worked closely with East Coast Metal Systems to coordinate the project, and they did a great job of fabricating the panels.”

Brawner installed 2,470 panels (33,300 sq. ft.), which are coated with PPG’s Duranar Sunstorm Ultra-Cool, Anodic Clear.