iSuite, University of Delaware, Newark
RETROFIT TEAM
ARCHITECT: Page, Washington, D.C.
DESIGN: University of Delaware College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Newark
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Bancroft Construction Co., Wilmington, Del.
MATERIALS
The former metal foundry turned iSuite includes a cyber range, collaborative hub and a makerspace. Working with the college directly, the facility was designed using Page’s 3D printers and a student-created virtual-reality model, developing a half-scale mockup to demonstrate that inverting metal fabric for the space would in fact be successful.
“We’ve seen metal fabric draped as a catenary before, but this is the first time someone has used Fabricoil in the ‘wrong direction,’” says Lou Krupnick, AIA, associate principal at Page. “We reversed the fabric and used its tensile properties to produce a curve that way.”
The space features 750 square feet of 5/16-inch, 15-gauge aluminum Fabricoil with a powder-coated satin copper finish. The resulting ceiling treatment produces “true curves,” with the coiled wire fabric wall constructed in a similar fashion.
Hovering over the collaborative hub, the coiled wire fabric weaves through room-wide lights providing a well-lit atmosphere and effective light diffusion throughout the space. In addition, the coiled wire fabric walls add dimension to the space without obstructing views for students and faculty. “Coiled wire fabric really fit into the electrical genre of the collaborative space,” Krupnick adds.
Fabricoil products carry Declare labels from the International Living Future Institute, Seattle.
METAL FABRIC MANUFACTURER: Cascade Architectural
THE RETROFIT
University officials credit the innovative space with an “immediate and noticeable increase in enrollments,” helping the school project a particular image that truly speaks to the students.
The facility, which was completed in 2017, was recognized with a Construction Excellence Award by the Delaware Contractors Association, Newark, for being the most technologically innovative project of 2017.
PHOTOS: (c) Jacob Krupnick