Challenges came in designing an envelope around the building’s original cast-iron columns. The design team started with a fiberglass substructure, which significantly limited thermal bridging and could be attached to cast iron with mechanical fasteners. This structure was filled with dense insulation and holds the PVC multi-glazed window wall with a Ug of 0.3 W/(m2K). The windows were installed to be operable, providing ventilation during most of the year.

When it came to panel selection, careful consideration had to be given to the amount of weight put on the existing cast iron and brick. Molded fiberglass and concrete fiber panels posed challenges to this, and as Salcedo said, “the choice of fenestration further determined the finish and color.  The composite metal panels provided an integral finish both reflective and durable.” The composite metal panels that were ultimately selected were lighter, could be fabricated locally, and included a high proportion of recycled material.

Working with B&B Sheet Metal, Scalar Architecture developed mock-ups and full-scale models of the metal panels. The design team “focused on the volumetric intent of the design,” said Salcedo, working through multiple iterations of panels. Digitally cut, the panels were grooved on their backside in order to accommodate folds. The folding provided the rigidity needed for thin metal, bridged connections to the existing building, and created the unique geometry that allowed for the interplay between sunlight and the facade that Scalar Architecture desired.