Parking garage makeover: Part 1

By Linda Barlow, Finishing Dynamics. 

Goodbye, utilitarian structures; hello, artful designs! Learn how these builders introduce art and aesthetics to traditionally bland afterthoughts. 

When people think of beautiful buildings and architecture, they think of historic landmarks, soaring skyscrapers or grand cathedrals. What most people do not think of are parking garages.  

Parking garages are functional structures built to serve a purpose: to get people close to the doors of their actual destination. Because they are not a destination in themselves, their design is typically devoid of style and character. They are seen by building owners and contractors as a utilitarian necessity, not an artistic opportunity. 

Recently, however, the design/build community is taking a new look at parking garages, spurred in some instances by municipal requirements to screen the structures to improve urban aesthetics. This shift is creating new opportunities for metal working companies like American Metalcraft, Inc. (AMI), a second-generation, family owned business that provides quality custom architectural metal products to curtain wall contractors, general contractors, installers, roofers and glaziers nationwide. 

“American Metalcraft has become well known for our intricately designed and perforated solid plate aluminum panels,” said Holly Gotfredson, CSI, CDT, president of American Metalcraft. “Our rainscreen and metal panel systems, custom sunshades, infill, perforated and shadowbox panels, brake metal and column covers grace the Froedtert Health Campus in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; William and Mary College Creative Arts Center in Williamsburg, Virginia; SFSU in Richmond, California; Fort Bliss Hospital in El Paso, Texas; and Westminster High School in Atlanta to name just a few.” 

From the art world to the factory floor 

Holly’s journey to becoming the head of a respected metal manufacturing company began in the fine arts field. An art history major at the University of Georgia, she spent time in creative industries, working at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta before moving on to marketing and advertising design work. 

“Metal manufacturing was not on my career bingo card as a young adult,” she said. “During college, little was known or said about viable, rewarding careers for women in manufacturing, construction, architecture and engineering.” 

That changed when Holly’s father-in-law, founder of AMI, hired her to do marketing design for the company. After working on projects like sales literature and web site updates, Holly eventually became the company’s full-time marketing and advertising director. She then did stints in the finance and HR departments before turning her interest to the factory floor. 

“The more I learned about the process of metal manufacturing and how metal products are used, the more fascinated I became,” she said. “I had never thought about art as being part of the built environment, but it’s rewarding to see creative expression and the skills of many trades come together to create a unique space.” 

In 2017, Holly purchased the company from her in-laws and quickly set to work implementing her vision for its future growth. In 2021, she purchased American Metalcraft’s sister company, Finishing Dynamics. American Metalcraft is one of the few metal manufacturing facilities with its own in-house liquid paint line.  

“We have direct eyes and hands on everything, from design and engineering, to fabrication, finishing and shipping,” Holly said. “Not only does this allow for stricter quality control; it also avoids costs associated with shipping fabricated panels to an outside finisher, allowing us to pass those savings along to our customers. Plus, it helps ensure that our products are crated properly so they are not damaged in transit.” 

Holly noted that AMI does not maintain any inventory. All products are made from true plate — not coil — and are custom fabricated for each project. The company also doesn’t force designers to choose a particular panel size or module. Instead, they work with their customers to find a bespoke solution that balances the designer’s aesthetic concerns with the best use of materials.  

High-quality metal designs deserve high-quality finishing 

AMI’s sister company, Finishing Dynamics, processes parts utilizing quick color changes that save customers time and money. The line uses cutting-edge technology and has a processing window that is 4 feet wide x 5.5 feet high x 38 feet long — one of the largest in the Southeast – allowing the company to paint aluminum products in all different sizes and profiles.  

All metal products are chemically cleaned and treated using a five-stage, non-hazardous, zirconium-based pre-treatment system. All paint is applied using electrostatic paint guns and is cured in Finishing Dynamics’ industrial bake oven. The manual spray process ensures complete coverage of exposed surfaces, regardless of profile. 

Finishing Dynamics uses top-quality Kynar 500® FSF® PVDF resin-based metal coatings, giving designers and project specifiers confidence that their structures will maintain their coated integrity for the long term. Kynar 500® FSF® PVDF resin has been trusted for six decades to help protect commercial, industrial and residential buildings around the world. The coatings were the original high-performance finishes for architectural metal and remain architects’ first choice, in part because they meet the rigorous AAMA-2605 specification. 

“Kynar 500® resin-based coatings take advantage of one of nature’s strongest chemical bonds,” said Paul Lavallee, global market manager, Kynar® PVDF Coatings, Arkema Inc. “This carbon-fluorine bond is impervious to the sun’s UV radiation and won’t degrade over time.” 

“With the complicated, laser-cut designs we fabricate, we need a high-quality finish,” Holly said. “We trust Kynar 500® to apply easily and consistently on our line and provide the long-lasting, colorfast performance our clients demand. And we trust in the innovation Arkema brings to the table when working with us and our paint suppliers.” 

Because AMI finishes their plate products post-fabrication, all edges are coated. There are no post-coating sheared edges to create opportunities for oxidation. In addition, the use of plate allows designers to specify a virtually unlimited number of colors for each project. 

The capabilities of Holly’s combined companies and their use of Kynar 500® PVDF resin-based coatings are just two of the many reasons AMI and Finishing Dynamics were awarded two high-profile parking garage projects in Philadelphia. 

Original article and photos source: Finishing Dynamics

Read about the two parking garage projects in Part 2 of this article series.