Metal Canopies – University of Kansas Transit & Maintenance Facility
Pre-engineered metal buildings are, no doubt, efficient building structures, but they are often less appreciated because the visual potential is seldom developed compared to normally constructed buildings. In reality, it takes only a little design creativity with color, landscaping treatments and façade accents to bring the building to life and draw compliments on the appearance. That is what this case study is about. Without mentioning a manufacturer’s name of the building, we can simply state that is by a well known, long established manufacturer of pre-engineered buildings. That is where you start, a quality building. From there, you can work with the exterior details as you would with most conventional buildings. This includes basic exterior colors, accent colors and color placement, door details, window styles, entrance approaches and landscaping. And last but not least, attractive canopies and sunshades that serve not only as weather protection and beneficial shading but also a seldom acknowledged “way finding” value pointing to various entrances. And for inviting aesthetics, the canopies and sunshades offer interesting exterior elements that break up a simple flat surface of any building type whether it be conventional construction or with pre-engineered metal buildings as in the photo.
A parallel advantage to the maintenance free exteriors of metal buildings is the similar maintenance free advantage Mapes Architectural canopies brings to the entire project. Mapes canopies are not just pre-engineered as well, but also are fabricated with rust free light weight specially engineered aluminum that is pre-finished for a lift time of maintenance free service to the building owner. Finishes offered include standard colors of bronze or white baked enamel and clear anodized aluminum, but also a wide range of standard 2 coat Kynar colors and optional custom colors that can be matched to virtually any color, including any proprietary colors used on a pre-engineered building. Just as the pre-engineered building is designed to handle the loads mother nature dishes out, so are Mapes Architectural canopies. Mapes canopies are not only engineered to meet standard wind loads of 90 miles per hour but also typical live snow loads of 40 pounds per square foot. Mapes canopies can also be further engineered for location specific codes in all 50 states and jurisdictions, i.e. coastal winds zones and high snow and drift loads common in northern regions. Examples of loads that can be engineered into Mapes Architectural canopies include 140 miles per hour wind loads and 100+ pounds per square foot live snow and drift loads.
And lastly, to assist in the design and installation of Mapes canopies, we offer an experience sales team with years of experience and dedication to customer satisfaction to take design ideas from concept to finished installation. The Mapes website offers many examples of the style of canopies and applications we have completed in all 50 states as well as both design and budget assistance to begin the process of canopy selection for almost any pre-engineered metal building you might consider.
Project Location: Lawrence, KS
Architect: Sabatini Architects, Lawrence, KS
Materials: All rust free aluminum.
Finish: Mapes standard clear anodized, factory prefinished.
Deck: Mapes .040 roll formed aluminum “W” pan style.
Fascia Style: Mapes standard 8 inch tall “J” style.
Support Method: Mapes standard hanger rods with standard 3 inch diameter escutcheon plates at wall face.
Drainage: Standard scuppers at outer front corners. Designed with internal drainage to the front scuppers via the integral “J” style fascia/gutter.
Wall attachment: Thru bolts at upper hanger rods and lower deck level anchor points with stainless ½ inch x 16 inch long bolts.
Fastener and anchor bolt materials: All stainless steel components.
Compression tubes: 1¼ inch diameter thick wall compression tubing supplied to prevent wall crush/collapse with bolt tightening.
