Edition 1/2012

  • Retrospective of the year
  • SMA office building
  • Aluminium Natural

Excellence in 2011

A façade panel that cleans itself and the surrounding air. The new METALS line with composite panels of real metal. An online façade configurator with 3-D building simulator and CAD download. Two successful exhibition appearances at Bau in Munich and BATIMAT in Paris.

2011 was a special year for Alcoa Architectural Products. We have consistently put the mew motto “excellence in innovation” into practice over the past twelve months. We also want to meet this challenge in 2012. “But excellence in innovation does not only apply to products and services – it also applies to the responsible handling of natural resources”, explains Guy Scheidecker, head of Sales and Marketing at Alcoa Architectural Products.

Excellence in innovation stands on three columns. “Inspiration” refers to surfaces and colours, “Protection” to protective coatings and „Integration“ to system solutions. “We have a distinct goal for our customers: We want to be their partners for more creativity, more variety and more security, and to provide the best available solution for every challenge”, says Scheidecker.

See our products and applications for yourself in 2012. We certainly look forward to a successful collaboration with you and wish you all the best for the new year. you have specific requests, suggestions or comments on the products or services of Alcoa Architectural Products, contact us at www.reynobond.service@alcoa.com.

Corporate philosophy mirrored in the architecture of buildings

SMA Solar Technology AG has already been distinguished several times as a pathfinder for energy efficient production and buildings. Characteristics such as dynamics, flexibility and technical curiosity, which are typical of the market-leading manufacturer of solar inverters, are reflected in the architecture of the new office building in Niestetal, Germany.

The imposing five-storey building is situated near a crossing on one of the main thoroughfares in Kassel. It is the management headquarters of SMA, but is also used for events and as a visitors’ portal for the adjacent inverter production facility. The façade of “SMA Solarwerk 1”, like the new office building, is clad with white aluminium composite panels. Taking the cue from the SMA Solar Technology AG corporate identity, the Reynobond® facing panels indicate the company philosophy: durability, flexibility, energy efficiency and functional aesthetics. The windows consist of a glass-and-aluminium structure with external shades.

The footprint of the building resembles a distorted parallelogram with rounded corners that is aligned with the two adjacent streets. This gives the building the desired dynamic. The central point is a glass-roofed atrium of the height of the building. The atrium roof itself is designed as a linear barrel vault.

In addition to the photovoltaic installation on the roof, various other ecological aspects are taken into consideration. The various measures contribute to consistently reducing the external thermal load of the building. As such, the building uses the waste heat from the cogenerating plant. Also, the office areas are air-conditioned by combined heating and cooling ceiling panels. In addition to forced ventilation systems, there is also the option of natural window ventilation. A well is used to cool the rooms using groundwater. Additional constructional measures, such as insulation of the building shell and the use of high-quality glazing, bring the building close to the passive house standard.

All the decisive sustainability criteria were defined for implementation in the initial planning phase. Hence, the building project met all the requirements necessary to receive the gold pre-certification of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB).

Builder: SMA Solar Technology AG, Niestetal, Germany
Architects’ office: HHS Planer + Architekten AG, Kassel, Germany
Gross ground area: 14,085 m²
Internal and external wall cladding: Circa 4420 m² Reynobond® aluminium composite panels, white

Sleek elegance

The “Natural Aluminium“ surfaces from the Reynobond® METALS show the typical sheen of aluminium, which reveals its full effect according to the light and changes in perspective.

There is a selection of two pure aluminium surfaces with different brushed effects and seven patina shades, which are applied to the brushed aluminium and subtly reflect the light. Surfaces in “Natural Aluminium” give your projects that special something. At the same time you benefit from the advantages of Reynobond® aluminium composite panel or Reynolux® aluminium sheet.