The Vision
First Federal Financial Center, headquartered in Charleston, SC since 1934, opened a new regional financial center in Myrtle Beach, SC, on May 7, 2007. First Federal is one of South Carolina's three largest financial institutions. Its new Myrtle Beach office combines banking, insurance, investment and trust services in one beautiful new building.
The striking 23,000 square-foot building was designed to improve customer convenience, to enhance productivity by centralizing operations in one comfortable building, and to project a high quality image for one of South Carolina's leading financial companies.
The Airolite Look...
The signature feature noted as one approaches the contemporary three-story First Federal building is the prominent span of nonlinear Airolite sun controls that project more than five feet from each of two upper floor levels. Adjacent walls feature sleek, linear Airolite sun control configurations with mitered corners that yield continuous, uninterrupted sight and shadow lines.
Matching aluminum fascia elements were incorporated in both linear and non-linear sun controls to lend uniformity, continuity, and a trim, finished look. All of the aluminum sun controls were finished with an Akzo-Nobel® Trinar 70% Fluoropolymer (PVDF) coating formulated in a custom Classic Silver color to match the curtain wall and window systems.
That Works
While the attractive Airolite sun controls contribute substantially to the building's sleek contemporary appearance, they also serve several other critically important functions. The Myrtle Beach climate is dominated by intense sun, high temperatures and severe humidity from March through September. The sun controls, installed above the curtain wall and windows on the South-facing façade, provide critical shading from the sun's intensity. This helps mitigate energy transfer as well as manage glare in interior work spaces.
Thermal energy transmitted through glass and glazing systems can contribute to higher energy costs for the operation of air conditioning and ventilation systems. In addition, too-high concentrations of light, or glare, can create occupant discomfort and interfere with employee productivity, especially at computer work stations. Sun controls effectively contribute to the efficiency of the envelope design by balancing natural light and user requirements. Interior lighting controls can be used to dim or extinguish ambient lighting to further reduce energy use.
Airolite's segmented sun control sections incorporating eight-inch extruded aluminum airfoil blades proved to be the perfect solution. The sun control sections are assembled entirely by welding and are supported by steel outriggers which provide the strength to withstand hurricanes and strong coastal winds. Coordination of the precise measurements required to produce 41 independent sun control sections (the largest section was approximately 10.5 feet wide) posed a formidable challenge. Airolite ensured that each section matched its unique outrigger configurations, encapsulated exterior columns as required, and collectively achieved the dramatic radius appearance.
Each Airolite sun control section arrived at the job site on time, sized to fit, and ready to install. Three years later, First Federal is proud of its attractive new regional financial center and pleased with the energy savings achieved through the effective use of Airolite sun controls.
First Federal Financial Center, headquartered in Charleston, SC since 1934, opened a new regional financial center in Myrtle Beach, SC, on May 7, 2007. First Federal is one of South Carolina's three largest financial institutions. Its new Myrtle Beach office combines banking, insurance, investment and trust services in one beautiful new building.
The striking 23,000 square-foot building was designed to improve customer convenience, to enhance productivity by centralizing operations in one comfortable building, and to project a high quality image for one of South Carolina's leading financial companies.
The Airolite Look...
The signature feature noted as one approaches the contemporary three-story First Federal building is the prominent span of nonlinear Airolite sun controls that project more than five feet from each of two upper floor levels. Adjacent walls feature sleek, linear Airolite sun control configurations with mitered corners that yield continuous, uninterrupted sight and shadow lines.
Matching aluminum fascia elements were incorporated in both linear and non-linear sun controls to lend uniformity, continuity, and a trim, finished look. All of the aluminum sun controls were finished with an Akzo-Nobel® Trinar 70% Fluoropolymer (PVDF) coating formulated in a custom Classic Silver color to match the curtain wall and window systems.
That Works
While the attractive Airolite sun controls contribute substantially to the building's sleek contemporary appearance, they also serve several other critically important functions. The Myrtle Beach climate is dominated by intense sun, high temperatures and severe humidity from March through September. The sun controls, installed above the curtain wall and windows on the South-facing façade, provide critical shading from the sun's intensity. This helps mitigate energy transfer as well as manage glare in interior work spaces.
Thermal energy transmitted through glass and glazing systems can contribute to higher energy costs for the operation of air conditioning and ventilation systems. In addition, too-high concentrations of light, or glare, can create occupant discomfort and interfere with employee productivity, especially at computer work stations. Sun controls effectively contribute to the efficiency of the envelope design by balancing natural light and user requirements. Interior lighting controls can be used to dim or extinguish ambient lighting to further reduce energy use.
Airolite's segmented sun control sections incorporating eight-inch extruded aluminum airfoil blades proved to be the perfect solution. The sun control sections are assembled entirely by welding and are supported by steel outriggers which provide the strength to withstand hurricanes and strong coastal winds. Coordination of the precise measurements required to produce 41 independent sun control sections (the largest section was approximately 10.5 feet wide) posed a formidable challenge. Airolite ensured that each section matched its unique outrigger configurations, encapsulated exterior columns as required, and collectively achieved the dramatic radius appearance.
Each Airolite sun control section arrived at the job site on time, sized to fit, and ready to install. Three years later, First Federal is proud of its attractive new regional financial center and pleased with the energy savings achieved through the effective use of Airolite sun controls.
Information
-
Architects:
ESD Architecture, Charlotte, NC
-
Airolite Representative:
Kuester Sales Company, Inc., Charlotte, NC
-
General Contractor:
Hill Construction, Charleston, SC