University of West Oahu Chooses Eco-friendly Cladding for New Campus

Feb. 24, 2012 - PRLog -- After 35 years, the University of West Oahu will have its first permanent location for the campus.  The new University of West Oahu campus construction project is one of ten branches of the University of Hawaii system and will consist of five buildings, labs, parking lot, and classrooms.  

The completed $48 million structure would have to be able to accommodate 3,700 students and eventually 7,500 students. The primary challenges of this project lie in incorporating sustainable design principles into the building. Design aspirations included creating a roof assembly that could meet performance requirements such as lowering cooling costs, improving ventilation, and balancing humidity.  Zinc was chosen as the cladding solution because of its performance capabilities in tropical climates.  

“We had to identify the right components for a high-performance roof assembly,” said MetalTech-USA VP Blaine Gardner.  “We were happy to collaborate with Alcal Hawaii to engineer a quality double lock roofing application suited for such a climate.”

Zinc cladding fabricated by MetalTech-USA was used for the roofing because it can extend the service life of a structure in coastal regions.  The zinc Double Lock Standing Seam profile was used for the 150,000 square-foot roofing project. The .8mm/22-GA double lock panels feature a graphite gray finish with a seam height of 1.5”.  

The first portion of the project is scheduled for completion in spring 2012.  The remainder of the construction will be completed later this year.  

Specialty metal fabrication and engineering:  MetalTech-USA
Installation:   Alcal Hawaii
Architects:  John Hara Associates, Inc.

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MetalTech-USA distributes and fabricates coil, sheet and architectural metal products to contractors and architects. Complete environmentally-friendly roofing, façade and rainwater systems are available in copper, zinc, stainless steel, and more.