SIMPLIFY PROJECTS USING ONSITE FABRICATION OF PANELITE PANELS
Panelite panels are lightweight (70-80% air) and very easy to cut using standard woodworking tools, allowing architects and installers to simplify the project planning process.
Following are examples of projects where clients achieved their design intent while using onsite fabrication to their advantage.
EXAMPLE ONE: GARRETT POPCORN SHOP, WOOD FIELD MALL, SCHAUMBERG, IL
Translucent backlit walls on all sides of the Garrett Popcorn Shop were designed to be consistent with Garrett’s branding as well as to ensure that the kiosk-like shop would stand out in a busy mall.
Panelite received the project inquiry on July 29th. While the goal was to get the Popcorn Shop ready for the Thanksgiving week-end, the construction details of the building were still being worked out. The final dimensions weren’t known until the panels were delivered on site.
The drawing below shows the custom shape and angles required for the side elevation. Panels were trimmed onsite as required, and interlocked together using the ClearConnect™ system, which doesn’t require any intermediate framing.
Garrett Popcorn Shop – Side Elevation – Layout of Bonded Series Panels
The shop opened in time for the Black Friday shoppers. The aggressive project schedule was possible without compromising the design because the installer, Scott General Contracting, could order the panels without waiting for field-verified (VIF) dimensions.
Bonded Series Translucent Honeycomb Panels Backlit Partitions | Kiosk for Garrett Popcorn Shops | Architect: Harley Ellis Devereaux | Installer: Scott General Contracting
> PROJECTS GALLERY: EXHIBITS + FIXTURES
EXAMPLE TWO: CONFERENCE ROOMS DESIGN AT WESTFIELD OFFICES, LOS ANGELES
The design used “off the shelf” channels available from any local aluminum supplier to capture and secure the panels. No custom profiles or complex stick build assembly was required.
At only 80lbs per full sized sheet, panels can be carried by hand and installed without lifts or specialized equipment.
At Westfield, the panels were ordered oversized to allow them to be trimmed on site, eliminating the need for field dimensions or tight tolerances in the construction of adjacent areas.
VIDEO: Bonded Series panel (B-RCYT) trimmed onsite using simple wood working tools.
The flexibility of onsite fabrication coupled with easy handling of panels led to faster, less costly, and better looking installation.
Panelite Bonded Series Panels for Sliding Doors, Partitions | Westfield Offices, Los Angeles | Architect: Woods Bagot | Installer: Zaun Glass | Product: B-RCYT, ClearConnect BF-ITL1 | Panels Flush Glazed in Recessed Channels
> CASE STUDY: TRANSLUCENT CONFERENCE ROOMS, PARTITIONS, GROUP SPACES AT WESTFIELD OFFICES
EXAMPLE THREE: SPRINT EXECUTIVE BRIEFING CENTER
Curved, backlit walls were central to the design of the Sprint Executive Briefing Center in Kansas City.
Sprint Executive Briefing Center | Architect: RMTA Architecture | Panelite Product: B-RCCTS with ClearConnect Interlocking System | Installer: Total Interiors
Onsite fabrication of Bonded Series panels greatly simplified installation. This was critical to mitigate risk in project execution. The installer, Total Interiors, was able to make onsite adjustments that would not be possible with traditional curved translucent materials such as glass. These onsite adjustments included trimming to size to adjust for in-field dimensions, and installing panels more than once to test different lighting solutions.
Trimming Panels Onsite for Backlit Walls at Sprint Executive Briefing Center | Installer: Total Interiors
Onsite Fabrication of Panels Simplified Installation | Installer: Total Interiors
Sprint Executive Briefing Center, Overland Park, KS | Design: Rees Masilionis Turley Architecture
> LEARN MORE: TRANSLUCENT CURVED PANELS WITH SEAMLESS CONNECTIONS
EXAMPLE FOUR: LIFETIME TV NETWORKS HEADQUARTERS, NYC
To maximize floor space for meeting rooms and hallways, backlit walls needed to occupy less than 6” of depth. These backlit walls line the hallways throughout the headquarters with a dynamic effect of changing light colors.
Design of this complexity is very difficult to achieve with translucent glass, since glass is much heavier, cannot be cut onsite, and requires more visible seams.
Lehr Construction fabricated the Bonded Series panels onsite as required during the installation process.
Case Study: Frameless Backlit Walls Maximize Space in Meeting Rooms and Hallways | Product: Bonded Series B-RCCTS (Random Clear, Clear Transparent one side, Clear Satin one side | Architect: HOK | Installer: Lehr Construction
The Panelite sales support team encourages clients to take full advantage of the flexibility of onsite fabrication:
Order panels earlier in the schedule – no need for upfront field dimensions.
Make onsite adjustments as required to account for field-verified dimensions as well as tolerances and unknowns in the construction process.
Mitigate risk. Minimize delays. Complete projects on time and within budget.
> PANELITE BONDED SERIES: TRANSLUCENT HONEYCOMB PANLES
> BONDED SERIES: INTERIOR APPLICATIONS
> DIRECTIONALLY TRANSPARENT PARTITIONS, DOORS
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