Hospital Design and Composite Panels: The Cutting Edge Choice
Renowned for their quality and appearance, metal composite materials are a top choice for architectural projects, especially hospital design. A perfect fit for heavy-use buildings like medical facilities, the diverse range of shapes and colors make aluminum composite panels aesthetically desirable, allowing healthcare facilities to provide their patients and visitors with a more comfortable environment.
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The New Parkland Hospital
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Hospital Design Relies on Durable, Sustainable Materials
As a material commonly used on exterior envelopes and facades, metal composite materials (MCM) often face the risk of degradation due to natural elements like rain, wind, and UV exposure. To prevent damage, increase durability, and reduce maintenance costs, ALPOLIC panels feature a protective coating containing LUMIFLON® FEVE resin. Extruded onto composite sheets during the manufacturing process, FEVE based paints are thermoset, help improve corrosion resistance, and they provide a long-lasting gloss range, twice the industry standard, reducing the need for repainting.
Use of ALPOLIC panels in hospital design, therefore, help prevent the inconvenience and expense of upkeep. “Hospitals must be structurally sound and remain operational during and after natural disasters,” says Jane Swayze of Vicwest. “With new laws requiring new and retrofit health facilities to be constructed to resist earthquakes, ALPOLIC’s lightweight materials are an excellent choice.”
MCM Provides Economic Solution to Renovation Projects in Healthcare
In addition to their reliability and high performance, MCM are also cheaper and easier to install, fix, and replace than other, more traditional building materials. With increased flexibility, longevity, and ease of fabrication, ALPOLIC panels are both efficient and affordable.
For established hospitals requiring exterior renovation to meet new standards in sustainability and aesthetics, ALPOLIC is an ideal choice for retrofit projects. The century-old Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago underwent a revitalization with MCM which saved time and money as opposed to a rebuild. “ALPOLIC’s aluminum composite panels provided Swedish Covenant Hospital with exceptional paint finishes, high quality of product, and delivery of a material to meet fast track hospital schedules,” says Chad Showalter of Metal Design Systems, Inc.
Ease of Fabrication and Installation Brings Efficiency to Design
Boasting a wide range of finishes and extensive custom coloring capabilities, ALPOLIC composite panels also stand at the forefront of architectural aesthetics. Both modern and decorative, composite panels now play an important role in the in the rejuvenation of pre-existing buildings as well as the architectural appeal of new facilities.
Kori Nichols of Roof Services Corporation says of MCM in such design, “Hospitals and healthcare facilities utilize composite panels for state-of-the-art solutions to augment their sterile facades with striking architectural significance and appearance.” In the case of Richmond’s OrthoVirginia Medical Office Building, usage of ALPOLIC also contributed to the project’s goal of achieving LEED certification for its eco-friendly design.
ALPOLIC Is The Future of Modern Hospital Exterior Design
In the last decade, ALPOLIC metal composite materials have played a critical role in the development of new healthcare projects and expansions of established facilities. Now more than ever, the need for contemporary structures aligns with that of advanced technologies in wellness, and ALPOLIC’s presence in the industry continues to grow.
ALPOLIC finishes are featured extensively on hospital envelopes throughout the United States. Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center in California, Slidell Cancer Center in Louisiana, Granger Medical Clinic in Utah, and UCHealth Longs Peaks are just four medical facilities clad with our MCM. Visit our Projects page for more examples of hospitals and healthcare services using our products in their exterior and interior design.
For more information on ALPOLIC MCM, or to order samples of the company’s industry-leading selection, call 1-800-422-7270.
Photos © Mitsubishi Chemical Composites America, unless otherwise specified
Featured Fabricators: Altech Panel Systems, Igloo Erectors Ltd, Metal Design Systems Inc., Roof Services Corporation, Vicwest, W.H. Stovall & Company
This is a revised version of a blog that appeared initially on the ALPOLIC site in 2012.
