Prior to 2014, the College of Life Sciences Building at Brigham Young University (BYU) was nothing more than a bland, featureless structure with no windows. In 2011, BYU began its plans to replace the windowless science building in hopes of attracting new students and faculty. Architectural Nexus, of Salt Lake City, took charge of designing the new building, working with Salt Lake City-based installer, LCG Façades. Together, LCG Façades and Architectural Nexus created a design that seamlessly blends in with Utah’s stunning mountainous environment.
The architects focused on including elements that would “…achieve a more efficient use of building space and thereby gain flexibility in producing connections that will make an interactive and unified college.” According to Architectural Nexus, architects worked to pull away from the structure’s initial windowless design, deciding to focus on incorporating natural light. To implement this plan, windows that allowed an ample amount of sunlight and access to the surrounding landscape were installed.
During construction, LCG Façades worked together with ALPOLIC Materials to create a lightweight metal composite panel rainscreen system. The ALPOLIC Silver Mica panels used were finished with Valspar’s Valflon, which employs Lumiflon FEVE resin technology. FEVE-based fluoropolymers, like Valflon, are ideal for projects like the BYU Life Sciences Building because of their durability properties. The Lumiflon FEVE resin utilized in these coating systems protects surfaces from UV radiation, moisture, salt, and other elemental deterrents for decades. Coatings that contain Lumiflon FEVE resin also enjoy exceptional color and gloss retention, eliminating the need for recoating and overall reducing life cycle costs.
Photos courtesy of Brigham Young University
Categories Architecture