MARKET FEATURE OFFICE AND MIXED-USE New offi ce space set in historic district
The new Washington Station offi ce building in Syracuse, N.Y., offers more than 126,000 square feet of Class A space in the historic Armory Square District. The six- story building was developed by Pioneer Com- panies, Syracuse and designed by QPK Design, Syracuse. The design intent was to create a landmark that could stand the test of time and be a precedent for revitalization by building a midrise structure on a vacant site. The building offers a contemporary aesthetic that highlights the beauty of newer materials, simple lines and functional design. Approximately 16,000 square feet of
Woburn, Mass.-based RHEINZINK America Inc.’s RHEINZINK Preweathered Blue-Gray wall panels were installed vertically utilizing the pressure and temperature equalized rainscreen Consort Panel System fabricated by Proclad Enterprises Ltd., St. Albert, Alberta, Canada. According to Doug Frank, Proclad director: “We’re expecting extreme life out of this particular project. It’s easy to predict that this material and panel system will last 100 years.” The RHEINZINK interfaces with a terra
cotta rainscreen system on a portion of the building which has received LEED Silver Core & Shell certifi cation. “We sought to scale down the massing of the building by creating different parts so that
the structure wouldn’t be overwhelming,” says Eugenia Brieva, partner and senior architec- tural designer. “The terra cotta complements the older brick buildings in the area and the RHEINZINK harmonizes with the more contem- porary metal cladding on other nearby build- ings. The RHEINZINK also provides an elegant background for the punched windows with a combination of four glass colors that create a mosaic pattern partially inspired by Syracuse University’s historic building nearby. And the owner really liked the fact that the zinc would patina over time.” Both Brieva and Frank agree on the merits
of a rainscreen system. “The rainscreen sys- tem is simply a better way to create a superior building envelope,” according to Brieva. Frank concurs. “A true rainscreen is one of the
best systems you can buy,” he says. “And zinc creates such a wonderful patina—it works with the environment rather than trying to fi ght it.” Edward Schalk & Son, East Syracuse, N.Y., installed the metal panels.