Metl-Span selected for re-roof project

More than 130,000 sf of Metl-Span CF36R insulated panels were utilized to re-roof the 8-building Haughton Middle School complex in Haughton, LA. The 2 ½ ft. panels were finished in Cool Bright Red and replaced a standing seam metal roof that was not performing properly.

“The old roof had been a problem for years,” said Lauren Marchive, project architect with Newman Marchive Carlisle, Inc., Shreveport, “and the Bossier Parish School Board wanted it gone.”

The design team researched three options:

Removing the roof and installing decking with a new roof over it
Using a single ply membrane system with insulation over the existing roof
Removing the roof and installing an insulated metal panel system.

After consideration, the School Board determined the insulated metal panel system was the best solution. “Metl-Span was included in our bidding process and was the successful low bidder,” according to Marchive. “We had used Metl-Span roof and wall panels before on a Louisiana Department of Transportation building and the success of that project is what convinced us that this was a good option.”

Other factors that contributed to the selection of the Metl-Span system were thermal insulation qualities and the speed and ease of installation. “School remained in session during the renovation and it was important to minimize the disruption as much as possible,” Marchive said.

Installation of the Metl-Span panels was done by Louisiana Roofing Contractors, LLC, Bossier City, LA. “The biggest challenge was working around the school schedule,” according to Paul Tipton, owner. “We literally tore off the old and installed the new on a daily basis and made the roof watertight overnight, of course.”

The architectural design of the new roof was basically unchanged from the original. “There was quite a variety of different slopes to contend with and lots of details on the dormers,” according to Tipton. “But the system worked really well and achieved the design and performance everyone was looking for.” BD+C

Investigators from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) say they have found no evidence of underground voids on the site of the Champlain Towers South collapse, according to a new NIST report. The team of investigators have studied the site’s subsurface conditions to determine if sinkholes or excessive settling of the pile foundations might have caused the collapse.

Office Buildings | Sep 14, 2023

New York office revamp by Kohn Pedersen Fox features new façade raising occupant comfort, reducing energy use

The modernization of a mid-century Midtown Manhattan office tower features a new façade intended to improve occupant comfort and reduce energy consumption. The building, at 666 Fifth Avenue, was originally designed by Carson & Lundin. First opened in November 1957 when it was considered cutting-edge, the original façade of the 500-foot-tall modernist skyscraper was highly inefficient by today’s energy efficiency standards.

The Tampa General Health Behavioral Health Hospital, JE Dunn, Stengel Hill Architecture

Healthcare Facilities | Sep 13, 2023

Florida’s first freestanding academic medical behavioral health hospital breaks ground in Tampa Bay

Construction kicked off recently on TGH Behavioral Health Hospital, Florida’s first freestanding academic medical behavioral health hospital. The joint venture partnership between Tampa General (a 1,040-bed facility) and Lifepoint Behavioral Health will provide a full range of inpatient and outpatient care in specialized units for pediatrics, adolescents, adults, and geriatrics, and fills a glaring medical need in the area.

Adaptive Reuse | Sep 13, 2023

Houston's first innovation district is established using adaptive reuse

Gensler's Vince Flickinger shares the firm's adaptive reuse of a Houston, Texas, department store-turned innovation hub.

Giants 400 | Sep 12, 2023

Top 75 Retail Sector Engineering and Engineering Architecture (EA) Firms for 2023

Kimley-Horn, Henderson Engineers, Jacobs, and EXP head BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest retail building engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking factors revenue for all retail buildings work, including big box stores, cineplexes, entertainment centers, malls, restaurants, strip centers, and theme parks.

Giants 400 | Sep 11, 2023

Top 140 Retail Sector Architecture and Architecture Engineering (AE) Firms for 2023

Gensler, Arcadis, Core States Group, WD Partners, and NORR top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest retail sector architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking factors revenue for all retail buildings work, including big box stores, cineplexes, entertainment centers, malls, restaurants, strip centers, and theme parks.

Resiliency | Sep 11, 2023

FEMA names first communities for targeted assistance on hazards resilience

FEMA recently unveiled the initial designation of 483 census tracts that will be eligible for increased federal support to boost resilience to natural hazards and extreme weather. The action was the result of bipartisan legislation, the Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act of 2022. The law aims to help localities most at risk from the impacts of climate change to build resilience to natural hazards.

MFPRO+ Research | Sep 11, 2023

Conversions of multifamily dwellings to ‘mansions’ leading to dwindling affordable stock

Small multifamily homes have historically provided inexpensive housing for renters and buyers, but developers have converted many of them in recent decades into larger, single-family units. This has worsened the affordable housing crisis, say researchers.