How One Fabricator Uses ALPOLIC MCM as His Calling Card in the Residential Market

The future of residential metal architecture is bright. 

In Western Canada, Excelsior Architectural Product is forging new ground with several projects that speak to a bold future of residential architecture. One recent project, a new home for the owners of Tamanna Concept, Ltd., has become a showpiece for the company, where people can see the advantages of installing metal composite material (MCM) on their home.

Tariq Malik, a custom home builder, and his wife Afsana, an architectural designer, envisioned a forward-thinking design for their Vancouver property that would remain stylish for years to come. Excelsior worked closely with them in the design and completed the fabrication and installation for the project.

Making a statement and making it feel like home.

The Maliks, having over two decades of experience in home design and construction, became aware of Excelsior through the company’s work on another single-family project. During the course of their home’s design they were concerned about the risks of expansion and shrinkage with other materials and were confident ALPOLIC MCM would achieve the upscale curb appeal they wanted without risk of weathering or damage.

The result is a high-end, custom home, complete with a multi-car garage that is clad elegantly in ALPOLIC®/fr MZG Grey. Since its completion, the Tamanna home has become one of the most admired in the neighborhood, if not the city. “We invited friends, family, builders, people in the industry [to see the completed home],” said Tariq Malik. “Everyone had the same ‘wowed’ expression.”

“It’s a car stopper. Cars literally stop to see the house,” adds Rohit Raju, Director at Excelsior. “We’re proud to have played a part in this home and this project is like our flagship.”

Quality composite materials make the difference. 

ALPOLIC MCM was chosen for its quality finishes, ease of fabrication and light weight. “It’s a modern look, one that will not age,” said Raju. The Maliks, already familiar with different building materials, knew MCM would provide a superior envelope for their home without “looking cheap.” The Maliks chose a brilliant red finish to complement the white exterior to enhance the home’s vibrancy and give tribute to Canada through the colors of its flag.

In terms of fabrication, the reduced weight of composite panels was one of the biggest factors, but for Raju, ALPOLIC MCM had the clear advantage in quality. “These panels won’t oil can. These panels last and they don’t need maintenance.”

Residential presents some unique challenges to fabricators.

For Excelsior, residential fabrication is essentially the same production process as commercial. It’s a clear advantage maintaining the same cladding system, with the same components and installation procedure, to mitigate training staff on different systems of façade installation. This isn’t to say that each installation is perfectly straight-forward. Excelsior routinely encounters homeowners that want to adjust the design “on the fly”. Raju remarks, “they’re creating places where they want to live. Sometimes homeowners change their minds throughout the process to customize their spaces.”

Because of limitations of space and time, the team at Excelsior know to rely on their adaptability for each residential project.  The cladding team needs to work around other contractors, like a landscaping crew, in a smaller footprint. They also can’t easily erect scaffolding around the entire façade, preventing access to other workers, and often can’t utilize large machinery, such as a boom lift. Projects can run behind schedule and catching up can be a challenge because of community by-laws that prohibit construction during certain times of the day. “We need to be mindful of everything,” says Raju.

Trust the experts.

What do industry professionals envision for their personal residences? For the Malik family, their 5,500 square feet home needed to feel “more vibrant, more alive” than the expected new home construction they’ve seen over their career. When they came across the exciting work Excelsior had been creating in the residential space, they trusted Raju and his team to deliver. ALPOLIC Materials helped create a home that exceeded their expectations. “I knew right away that this was a superior product,” said Tariq. These residential projects featuring metal composite materials are exploring new possibilities in single-family living.