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High-performance fluoropolymer coatings were employed to produce a distinctive, copper-colored exterior with custom, “Maple Green” accents at Maple Grove Hospital, a new health-care facility in Maple Grove, MN. The project, designed by BWBR Architects Inc., St. Paul, MN, is a joint venture of North Memorial Health Care and Fairview Health Services.
The hospital’s metal canopies, column covers, and panels were painted by coating and anodize finishing company Linetec, Wausau, WI. The majority of the aluminum components were finished in a dark copper color using a Fluropon Classic II mica coating from The Valspar Corp. Metal column covers, canopies, and panels were produced by Quality Metalcrafts LLC, Rogers, MN.
“Two-coat mica paint coatings offer a unique vibrancy and visual appeal,” said Tammy Schroeder, Linetec marketing specialist. The coatings consist of a color primer coat and a durable pearlescent color coat that utilizes inert, non-conductive mica pigmentation, which differs from aluminum metal flake used in metallic coatings. Coatings with mica are considered less sensitive to flake-orientation dynamics, which avoids the risk of color variation, Schroeder said.
The fluoropolymer coatings are based on 70% Kynar 500® polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) resins, and are formulated to meet the AAMA 2605 specification of the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA). The specification applies to high-performance coatings for aluminum, panels, windows, and doors, and sets rigorous performance requirements for color and gloss retention, fade resistance, chalk resistance, and erosion.
The metal canopies, column covers, and panels were manufactured by Quality Metalcrafts, and were installed by Armetex Inc., both Minnesota-based companies. BWBR Architects designed the new, $70 million facility in accordance with the Green Guide for Health Care and the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED® Rating System.
Jim Davy, principal with BWBR Architects, said the dominant copper color was specified to accentuate the facility’s setting in a grove of trees. The copper hue interacts with the change in the color of the leaves in the trees, he said. “The metallic color also offers a brightness and life when the sun hits it,” Davy said. The exterior color also is said to complement the neighboring ambulatory-care center and medical office building, and the color motif also permeates the hospital’s interior.
Construction of the hospital began in the summer of 2007. The general contractor was D.J. Kranz Company of Plymouth, MN.
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