A building envelope fit for the modern age

By Anna Lockhart.  

In an effort to provide a modern, sleek aesthetic to this university's campus, designers brought in the only brand perfect for the job – Metal Sales.  

In 2008, Arizona State University unveiled the stunning new building that would become home to the notable Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Situated on the university's sprawling campus in Phoenix, Arizona, the structure makes a bold statement with its sleek metal paneling and warm color scheme.  

Spanning an impressive 223,000 square feet across six stories and multiple classrooms fitted with state-of-the-art media equipment, the Walter Cronkite building is a sight to behold. When project architects at HDR Architecture and the general contractor, SUNDT Construction, took on the massive job, one thing was certain: the exterior facade needed to be constructed from the highest quality metal panels. Of course, that means none other than Metal Sales would do!  

The building envelope features Metal Sales’ T23 panels with 3’ vertical ribs in a trifecta of colorful coatings: Colonial Red, Terra Cotta and Copper Penny, an ode to the surrounding desert and Arizona culture. Additionally, the building also features horizontally clad T13-A ribbed panels in Metallic Silver.  

While Metal Sales’ panels were the obvious choice for the project due to their stunning visuals and durability, ASU’s values of sustainability were also a major part of choosing metal materials. The ideal building material for eco-conscious designs and a great way to maximize a structure’s energy-efficiency, the choice to use metal panels for the building envelope packs not only a stunning visual impression, but a purposeful one.  

Learn more about ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and the utilization of Metal Sales materials in the detailed case study.