Insulated Metal Panels Lend Recreation Center Weather and Fire Performance

The new Lander County Recreation Center, also known as “BM Rec” to area residents, provides a daily splash of energy and enthusiasm to the quiet mining community of Battle Mountain, Nev. Featuring bold, ribbed insulated metal panels, single-skin rainscreen panels and a standing seam roofing system, the project showcases a comprehensive metal building envelope and the best in performance and aesthetics offered by NCI Building Systems Inc.

Designed by VanWoert Bigotti Architects, the Lander County Recreation Center strikes the perfect balance between industrial and commercial architecture. The project pairs a steel frame system by Star Building Systems with over 50,000 square feet of metal panels by Metl-Span and MBCI.

Metl-Span insulated metal panels make up the bulk of the project’s high-performance metal exterior, providing thermal and moisture performance in a single, easy-to-install component. Designers blended 16,997 square feet of the ribbed 7.2 Insul-Rib profile with 4,595 square feet of lightly-corrugated CF Mesa panels for dramatic wall relief. Specified in both Charcoal Gray and Igloo White, the insulated metal panels provide exceptional aesthetic versatility.

While the 3-inch insulated metal panels boast an exceptional R-value of 23.58, the project team was equally impressed with the product’s unique, single-component construction. The ease of installation creates a weathertight building envelope after just one pass, creating efficiencies throughout the construction process.

The insulated metal panel system was installed without a hitch, according to Larry Rogers, owner of G&S Construction. As first time Metl-Span IMP installers, Rogers and his team of builders underwent training at the nearby Metl-Span West manufacturing facility in Las Vegas.

“Everything went up smoothly,” Rogers said. “I’ve heard nothing but positive reactions from the architect and the building owners.”

Designers accented the ribbed insulated metal panels in Charcoal Gray with a custom green single-skin metal panel from MBCI that provides aesthetic harmony with interior design and signage elements. The bold green exterior also serves as the project’s aesthetic focal point, drawing attention to the street-facing entrance.

“The lime green panels really strike the eye,” said Associate Project Manager Charlie Grundy, VanWoert Bigotti Architects. “We wanted to inject some personality and energy to the project, and I think it was a big success.”

The project also incorporates fire-rated ThermalSafe insulated metal panels, featured solely on a storage facility on the eastern side of the building’s perimeter. While not part of the initial design, Lander County Recreation Center representatives requested additional storage space to meet the needs of its growing suite of programs and activities. Measuring approximately 600 square feet, the new addition “called for a firewall because of its proximity to a nearby school to meet codes,” Rogers said.

The team from VanWoert Bigotti did not hesitate to specify Metl-Span ThermalSafe panels.

“The fire-rated panels were required at the common area between the Battle Mountain Junior High School gymnasium building and the storage building,” says Armando Velazquez, building service representative with Star Building Systems.

ThermalSafe mineral wool panels combine exceptional fire-resistance with the thermal and moisture performance that can be expected from Metl-Span insulated metal panels. The product’s unique LockGuard interlocking side joint further enhances the fire-resistant performance of the panel with its tongue-and-groove engagement of the mineral wool core. The fire-rated panel also offers excellent structural characteristics and span capability.

The Lander County Recreation Center incorporates 972 square feet of 24-gauge, 4-inch ThermalSafe insulated metal panels with a Light Mesa profile and matching Charcoal Gray hue.

To complete the all-metal building envelope, VanWoert Bigotti Architects specified 22,853 square feet of 24-gauge CFR insulated metal standing seam roof panels. Featuring 2-inch standing seams with the lightly-corrugated Mesa profile, the CFR panels are exposed on the interior for smooth sightlines and a modern aesthetic appearance.

The product combines durable exterior and interior faces of Galvalume steel with Metl-Span’s unmatched polyurethane insulating core. Factory-cut panel ends and factory notching eliminate field work and erection costs, while weathertight vertical side seaming leads to additional installation efficiencies.

Battle Mountain residents celebrated the grand opening of the new Lander County Recreation Center with two days of free admission in July 2017.