Traditional materials often fall short in these conditions, which is why sustainable urban resilience requires an integrated, system-based approach.

Sustainability Challenges Unique to Urban Environments

Cities present unique challenges that architects must address when making design choices. Sto Corp.’s system-based solutions are engineered with these challenges in mind, balancing sustainability goals with cost and constructability by using an integrated system approach.

Improving Envelope Performance

Surface temperature is more than just a heat issue. Thermal stress causes the envelope to expand and contract excessively, which means more maintenance and less durability. Facade materials have a direct impact on surface temperature.

• Continuous Insulation (CI): Systems that utilize StoTherm^® ci, StoVentec^® Rainscreen^® Systems or prefabricated finished wall panels like StoPanel^® systems avoid thermal bridging caused by metal studs in traditional alternatives by placing the insulation outside of the studs. This creates a sort of thermal blanket that eliminates thermal “leaks.”
• Occupant Comfort & HVAC: Envelope stability allows for more consistent humidity control and a quieter indoor environment by preventing HVAC systems from working too hard to keep the temperature at the right levels.

Envelope design at the system level avoids issues while accomplishing more in high-rise and multifamily structures typical of city living.

Aligning with Passive House and Urban Energy Standards

Passive House standards, such as low energy consumption, thermal comfort, and high indoor air quality, have found increased adoption in both new construction and renovations, particularly in urban environments. Sto’s systems allow architects to achieve Passive House performance and regulatory requirements by using a single-source solution. Here’s how:

• Effective Continuous Insulation (CI): Achieving the ultra-low U-factors required by codes in dense cities is possible through use of properly engineered CI. The use of StoTherm ci, StoPanel or StoVentec systems allow architects to choose from various insulation types (GPS, mineral wool, or EPS) with thicknesses tailored to specific climate or project requirements while keeping the assembly lightweight and easy to install. These systems are also ideal for either new construction or renovation projects.
• Air and Moisture Control: StoGuard^® air and water-resistive systems provide a continuous barrier across the entire building enclosure that resists both air and water intrusion. Not only are StoGuard solutions engineered and tested as part of Sto’s building envelope systems, but there is also a variety of products to choose from depending on project requirements – from liquid-applied barriers to self-adhered barriers or solutions for particular climate or geographic needs. StoGuard Detail Components are also available for detailing at joints, seams, and rough openings.
• Navigating “Stretch Codes”: Many sites adopt codes which are more aggressive than national standards. Sto’s systems are tested as complete assemblies. This gives architects the data they need to achieve these requirements without the guesswork of mixing and matching components that may not work well together. Sto offers systems comparisons on its website as well as the Sto Wall Selector^® to assist in identifying the most appropriate solution for a project.

Carbon-Conscious Facade Design

Building with conscience is at the heart of Sto’s philosophy. The carbon footprint of a building doesn’t need to be massive to look good and perform at peak efficiency. Sto systems help accomplish architect goals for performance and aesthetics while remaining environmentally conscious.

• Operational Carbon Reduction Through Energy Performance: Sto’s CI solutions and the use of continuous air and water-resistive barrier system make the building energy efficient. Less energy spent heating and cooling every day means a massive reduction over its lifetime.
• Reduced Embodied Carbon in Material Selection: By using lightweight materials, less fuel is used for shipping, and less heavy structural steel or concrete is needed to hold the building up, lowering the overall “embodied” footprint of the whole project.
• Extending Building Lifespan Through Moisture-Managed Systems: A facade that lasts longer means less carbon footprint spent replacing it. Using systems like StoVentec, a drained and back-ventilated rainscreen system, provides for air movement and water drainage behind the cladding. StoTherm ci and StoPanel systems also incorporate a drainage plane that allows incidental moisture to exit the wall assembly.
• Less Lifecycle Repainting and Replacement: Coatings like StoColor^® Lotusan^®, with its Lotus Effect^® technology that self-cleans with rain, reduce repainting cycles and its environmental impact.
• Decarbonization Without Aesthetic Compromise: Sustainable doesn’t have to mean ugly or boring. A building facade can have the appearance of heavy, high-carbon stone or wood, while being a lightweight, carbon-conscious Sto solution like StoCast^® Brick, StoCast^® Wood, or StoSignature finish.

Smart Retrofits in Dense City Contexts

In cities, there is rarely a blank slate when it comes to construction. Often, the reality is fixing or upgrading existing buildings that are inefficient, ugly, or failing code. Using Sto system-based solutions, these issues can be overcome without the downsides that come with traditional retrofitting.

Attaching a Sto system like StoTherm ci over an existing facade, for example, reduces waste and disruption. Because they’re lightweight, they typically don’t require expensive structural reinforcements to the existing building.

Insulation can also be tricky. In a dense city, widening a building is often not an option. Using high-performance exterior insulation, you improve insulation power from the outside. This allows the owner to keep their available interior space while hitting modern energy targets.

When it comes to maintaining architectural character, using StoCast Brick to mimic traditional masonry, or StoCast Wood to give a warm, organic look, is a good option to upgrade a building without losing its historic look.

Urban sustainability requires solutions that are compact, high-performing, and adaptable. Facade systems designed for continuous insulation, durability, and carbon-conscious performance help cities move toward long-term resilience.

Explore the Sto Wall Selector to find a solution that fits your project’s requirements. You can also contact our team online or call 800-221-2397 for a project-specific consultation.

The post Surviving the Concrete Jungle: Sustainability Strategies for Urban Building appeared first on Sto Corp..

Yes, partner is an overused word. So, what does it really mean to be a trusted design partner? It means we provide you with the technical support and tools you need to deliver integrated, performance-driven solutions for your clients, while giving you and your team creative freedom. While most manufacturers point you to product literature or their website, Sto gets in the trenches with you. To strategize. To solve. And to create.

Early Engagement is the Key to Success

So, when should you engage Sto on a project? The earlier, the better. We have a wide portfolio of systems to choose from—from EIFS and stucco to rainscreens and prefabricated panels—so there are many possibilities. By understanding the client’s goals, the project challenges and your vision, we can help you zero in on the products and systems that will work best for your project. After all, every successful building envelope begins with understanding the project’s performance priorities, lifecycle goals and environmental context.

Those are just a few of the initial considerations. There are plenty more, and we’re here to help you sort through them.

Key Factors to Selecting the Right System

Sto has numerous advanced tools to help architects. There’s the Sto Wall Selector, the Aesthetic+Product Selector and our Documentation Center, to name a few. These tools simplify the exploration process. Our technical team often points to the Sto Wall Selector as the starting point, as it outlines essential factors every architect should assess when selecting materials and systems for their project. These are a few of those factors.

Timeline

• Project schedules often dictate system choice—prefabrication (Sto Panel) or fast-installing systems (StoPowerwall, StoVentec) can accelerate timelines.
• Early coordination with Sto Representatives ensures constructability reviews and compatible detailing are resolved before construction.

Budget

• Sto systems provide scalable solutions to meet budget constraints without compromising quality.
• Prefabricated Sto Panel Technology reduces onsite labor costs and weather delays.
• StoGuard integrated AWRB systems cut rework costs by simplifying moisture protection across multiple trades.

Performance Requirements

• Define thermal, air and moisture performance targets at the outset.
• Sto’s engineered systems—StoTherm ci, StoVentec, StoPowerwall—are designed and tested to meet energy, durability and fire performance standards, including Sto HVHZ systems.

Maintenance Considerations

• Sto coatings and finishes provide long-term protection with low maintenance requirements.
• Specify StoColor^® coatings and finishes engineered for UV stability, water repellency and dirt resistance to extend facade lifespan.

The Beauty of a Comprehensive System from One Manufacturer

Sto believes in a system approach to wall solutions. Mixing materials and products that weren’t designed to work together and that may be incompatible increases the risk of exposure to air and wind, the enemies of thermal control.

Tested for impact, weathering and aging, Sto integrated systems ensure long-term building resilience. But there are many other benefits of our system approach.

• Continuous AWRBs like StoGuard and StoShield SA help prevent water intrusion and uncontrolled air leakage.
• Proper drainage and ventilation within StoVentec rainscreen systems manage moisture and extend wall life.
• Available dew point and hygrothermal analysis ensure design performance across climates.
• Vapor-permeable and impermeable AWRBs suitable for any climate, from humid coastal zones to cold continental regions.
• Sto’s HVHZ systems include various types of cladding systems that meet Miami-Dade’s NOA or Florida Building Product approval.
• Sto systems are tested to meet stringent fire and code compliance requirements, including NFPA 285 assemblies.
• Sto Fireblocking meets the country’s most stringent fire codes, including New York City 2022 Building Code.

Flexibility, Sustainability and Design Freedom

Our products contribute to sustainable design through material efficiency, durability and improved building performance. And our systems support LEED and green-building goals by enhancing energy efficiency and reducing lifecycle maintenance costs. Prefabrication options also reduce onsite waste and carbon emissions. Our systems also deliver design freedom for designers and architects.

Our solutions support nearly unlimited design freedom—textures, colors and materials that achieve creative visions without sacrificing performance. From StoSignature finishes to StoVentec facades, architects can combine aesthetics and performance in a single system. Plus, Sto’s systems are engineered to integrate with a wide range of claddings, substrates and structural assemblies, allowing the seamless use of a variety of facade materials and giving you the ability to create one-of-a-kind designs that look as good as they perform.

A Powerful Partnership

Every project is unique, but Sto provides the systems, tools and technical expertise to help architects build with confidence and creativity. We are your trusted partner–in every sense of the word!

So, engage with our team early. And if you want to explore some of our design tools in advance, log on to our website and check out the Sto Wall Selector. You can also visit our Documentation Center for details on the system and product specifications. Or you can talk to one of our experts at 800-221-2397.

The post Sto: A Strategic Ally for Architects appeared first on Sto Corp..

The Secret to Minimizing Disruption: Prefabrication

The problem with traditional construction is the banging, and the sawing, and the cutting, and the mess from it all. With prefabrication, panels are manufactured off-site in climate-controlled facilities, resulting in a more consistent, higher-quality product. Panels arrive ready to install, reducing installation time and allowing facilities to remain operational during the expansion or renovation, reducing disruption to operations.

The benefits of prefabrication include:

• Controlled environment results in more consistent quality
• Less work on the jobsite means less disruption to operations
• Reduced weather-related delays ensure more predictable schedules and tighter budgets

But not all prefabricated panel solutions are created equal. One solution delivers performance, safety and sustainability, while offering virtually unlimited design freedom. That solution is Sto Panel Technology.

Sto Panel Technology – A Trusted Solution from a Trusted Partner

Sto Panel Technology provides the construction industry with a smarter form of wall design and construction through partnerships forged between leading contractors, fabricators and Sto Corp. – the world’s number one manufacturer of building envelope solutions.

By creating branded, tested, proven and warranted prefabricated, finished wall panel designs, Sto Panel Technology provides customized, project-specific constructability solutions that are not available anywhere else. Our broad offering of fully engineered and tested StoPanel prefabricated wall panels are manufactured in quality-controlled factories. Design assist services and support allow for development of unique solutions to project-specific challenges, effectively managing cost, labor and schedule requirements while reducing risk and improving project outcomes.

Sto Panel Technology benefits include:

• The ideal solution for expansion and renovation projects that demand speed, quality and minimal disruption
• Reduces jobsite congestion and safety risks, an important factor in occupied building environments and projects with tight space constraints
• Meets or exceeds code requirements for fire, moisture and impact resistance
• Off-site fabrication reduces material waste and supports ESG goals by minimizing construction-related emissions
• Prefabrication limits operational downtime, reducing revenue loss during construction phases

Sto Panel Technology: Case Studies

Sto Panel Technology sounds too good to be true, right? But it is true! And we have the real-world stories to prove it. These are just a couple of recent examples of how Sto Panel Technology can make a huge impact on new builds, renovations and expansions.

Banner Desert Medical Center

Location: Mesa, Arizona
Building Type: Healthcare
Construction Type: New

Banner Health’s Desert Mesa Campus established the need for a 58,550 sq ft expansion of the Women’s Tower and provided an opportunity for a multi-level addition. As the project required the construction of a new hospital wing above and adjacent to the existing hospital, with minimal disruption to the day-to-day operations of the existing facility, the need for prefabrication was obvious, and the entire project team adopted a panelized approach from day one.

MKB Construction used a wide variety of prefabricated exterior wall panels to achieve the multi-aesthetic facade, including StoPanel Classic NExT ci, StoPanel Metal ci and StoPanel Back-up with a masonry veneer. Composed of just over 135 panels, the facade for this project was installed in 4 weeks’ time.

Read the full case study here.

Centennial Hills Hospital Medical Center

Location: Las Vegas, NV
Building Type: Healthcare
Construction Type: New

Like most projects, the Centennial Hills Medical Center project originally called for panels to be built onsite. However, an aggressive 40-day installation and the hospital’s location in a residential neighborhood, which made debris containment especially concerning, forced the construction team to reconsider that option.

To address these challenges, they moved fabrication of the 57,092 sq. ft. of StoPanel^® Classic ci panels from the jobsite to their facility, shortening the field schedule by 3 months. By moving to their facility, they were also better able to contain construction debris.

Read the full case study here.

HCA Westside Regional Medical Center

Location: Plantation, FL
Building Type: Healthcare
Construction Type: Expansion

Due to the frequency and threat of extreme weather in the area, South Florida has strict building
code requirements for High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) areas and for essential structures such as healthcare facilities. This new addition to the HCA Westside Regional Center had to adhere to the strict Florida Building Code and Notice of Acceptance (NOA) standards, especially for wind-load design and impact resistance requirements. As with most healthcare facilities, meeting or beating the schedule was also of utmost importance.

The StoPanel^® Impact ci assembly allowed FLC Off-Site Construction to incorporate design
requirements and specifications meeting the Florida Building Code and Notice of Acceptance
(NOA) criteria directly into the design and fabrication process. Plus, they were able to install 22,000 square feet of panels in just 14 days.

Read the full case study here.

One Bala Place

Location: Bala Cynwyd, PA
Building Type: Office
Construction Type: Renovation

Built in 1965, One Bala Plaza was an aging, poorly insulated office building. Its restoration included 40,000 sq. ft. of custom-engineered StoPanel^® Classic NExT ci panels installed over the existing facade, delivering a fresh look and vastly improved thermal performance.

The team decided to build a completely new exterior facade right over the existing structure.
Steel angles were bolted along the entire perimeter of the building, then the StoPanel^® system and the new double-glazed ribbon windows were mounted in between. To avoid disturbing tenants, Jersey Panel limited installation to third shift and Saturdays. And by fabricating at Jersey Panel’s offsite facility, installation was complete in only 3 months, further minimizing disruptions.

Read the full case study here.

The Secret to Less Disruptive, More Predictable Expansions and Renovations: Sto Panel Technology

Expansions and renovations pose a host of challenges, especially in occupied buildings. Prefabrication is smarter, faster and less disruptive. And Sto Panel Technology delivers proven energy performance combined with unlimited design possibilities, enabling owners to go up while keeping their businesses running.

To learn more about Sto Panel Technology, visit our website or Sto Panel Technology Support.

The post The Challenges with Expansions and Renovations appeared first on Sto Corp..

Excellent patient care doesn’t happen by accident. It occurs as a result of attentiveness, precision, and expertise. No one is surprised they would expect the same from their construction projects.

Unfortunately, the construction industry must be more flexible, as it often struggles with variables beyond its control, such as weather and logistical challenges. However, there are ways to improve the quality and precision of the final product and make scheduling more predictable. One method is pre-fabrication.

Pre-Fabrication Explained

There are two types of prefab construction: modular and panel built. Sto’s prefabrication solution, Sto Panel Technology^®, features prefabricated finished exterior wall panels. The StoPanel^® system panels consist of cold-formed metal framing and all other components in a specified wall assembly, including glass mat sheathing, air and water-resistive barrier, continuous insulation (ci), sub-framing (if applicable), and the facade surface. StoPanel systems deliver what stand-alone components cannot: higher quality and dependability, fortified by third-party testing and code compliance.

The Benefits of Prefabrication

Prefabrication is a trend in healthcare for a reason. Actually, for many reasons. The benefits range from faster construction timelines to improved quality control and potential cost savings by minimizing on-site labor needs and waste. These are crucial factors in a sensitive environment like a hospital or other medical facility where continuous operations are critical.

These benefits sound great, but is there really a difference? Let’s examine some more closely, starting with faster construction timelines.

Construction with Fewer Disruptions

Prefabricated panels are manufactured in a controlled environment with all the various elements built in. As a result, there is greater quality and precision than traditional site-installed components. Because most of the construction is completed off-site, there will be less disturbance at your medical facility and reduced construction risks for workers and hospital operations.

Another point worth mentioning is that prefabricated panels are designed to be installed faster. On average, approximately 15,000 square feet of a building’s exterior surface can be installed per week or approximately 60,000 square feet/month when utilizing a Sto Panel Technology^® system. This is just another way prefabrication enhances schedule certainty.

Potential Cost Savings

The truth is prefabricated panels aren’t the low-cost construction choice. However, they have the potential to unlock massive savings when it comes to a project’s schedule. As mentioned above, fewer workers are needed on-site, and the panels are designed to be installed faster. So, the man-hours for labor are dramatically reduced. Plus, prefabrication projects usually result in fewer RFI’s and change orders and less material waste. All of which could result in significant savings.

Engineered for a Precision Fit

Every prefabricated panel is fully engineered and includes connections for its unique configuration, position, and the structural frame to which it must attach. Typically, the panels are held about one inch off the edge of the slab and connected at every stud with custom-designed steel plates, angles, or other prefabricated connection components as required to carry the design loads and handle the expected movement of the building frame.

With traditional field-installed projects, you’re counting on the engineering of the individual components and that those components will be installed properly to perform well as a unit. With multiple contractors involved and the variability of weather, it’s easy to imagine where some inconsistencies can occur. Inconsistencies create weak spots in a building envelope that can and do affect performance.

Customization for Healthcare Aesthetics

Not only does Sto Panel Technology^® deliver all the benefits of a prefabricated solution, it also offers design freedom. Architects and designers can choose from a wide variety of solutions to achieve a project’s desired aesthetic, such as 3D-printed facades, masonry veneers, resin-cast brick and wood, metal panels, fiber cement panels, and plaster finishes.

StoCreativ^® Granite and StoSignature are two incredible finish options that can help healthcare organizations create the exact look they’re after. StoCreativ Granite is an acrylic-based interior and exterior wall finish formulated for durability and low maintenance that gives the appearance of cut or polished granite. StoSignature is a virtually endless blend of color, texture, profiles, and effects utilizing Sto products that create customizable finished surfaces.

Whether you need to meet facility aesthetic and operational requirements or want to accentuate your brand, Sto Panel Technology makes it possible.

Case Studies: Prefabrication in Healthcare

Prefabrication is a legitimate trend in healthcare, and now you know why. Check out our project gallery to see how Sto Panel Technology^® is transforming sleepy medical buildings into architectural showpieces. We’ve highlighted a few of our favorite projects below if you want to take a quick peek.

Banner Desert Medical Center

Location: Mesa, Arizona
Building Type: Healthcare
Construction Type: New

See how Sto Panel Technology was used in a 58,550 sq ft expansion of the Women’s Tower without impacting existing operations.

Banner Gateway Medical Center

Location: Gilbert, Arizona
Building Type: Healthcare
Construction Type: New

Learn how Sto Panel Technology was used to improve schedule and cost predictability.

Centennial Hills Hospital

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Building Type: Healthcare
Construction Type: New

Discover how Sto Panel Technology helped a GC meet an aggressive 40-day installation schedule.

Intelligent Solutions from an Industry Leader

Sto Corp. is the world’s leading innovator in claddings, air barriers, coatings, and restoration systems. So, it’s no surprise that we offer smart solutions like Sto Panel Technology^® that are ideal for healthcare corporations seeking greater precision and predictability in their construction projects. We invite you to learn more about Sto Panel Technology and hope you will consider it for your next project.

For more information about Sto Panel Technology, visit our website, contact our support team, or call 800-221-2397.

The post Benefits of Pre-fabrication in Healthcare appeared first on Sto Corp..

Insulation Evolved

So, what exactly is GPS? GPS (graphite polystyrene) is a rigid thermal insulation material. The primary difference between GPS and traditional insulation products is that GPS insulating boards are thinner. In fact, they are up to 20% thinner than other rigid insulation boards. That means less material is required to achieve the same results. And the product itself is recyclable, making it more environmentally friendly.

What Makes the Sto GPS Insulation Unique?

It’s all about the graphite. Sto GPS Board is a rigid, graphite-enhanced, 100% closed-cell expanded polystyrene insulation board. We use graphite because it is the most stable form of carbon – safe and chemically inert. Plus, it reduces thermal conductivity and increases the R-value by as much as 25%.

Technically Speaking

So, how does the use of graphite and closed-cell construction impact performance? We’re glad you asked. It provides R4.7 per inch of thermal resistance at 75°F. In other words, our GPS Board enables you to achieve a higher R-value in thinner walls without the use of fluorocarbon blowing agents. Sto GPS Board complies with ASHRAE 90.1-2019 prescriptive continuous insulation requirements.

“Fluorocarbon Blowing Agents?”

It’s how some traditional polyurethane foam insulation panels are made. And some blowing agents are harmful to the environment. Sto GPS (and EPS) do not use blowing agents to achieve their thermal performance. As a result, the R-value is more stable than insulation that uses blowing agents, and they are better for the environment with no off gassing.

How Does a Thinner Board Affect Design?

Achieving a higher R-value in a thinner product gives design professionals new options for exterior wall configurations. Walls can be made thinner with equal thermal resistance, creating a larger interior for a given building footprint. Or wall thickness can remain the same, and thermal resistance can be substantially increased.

Another Sto Difference: Board Size

Sto GPS Board is available in larger sizes than most traditional panels and in various thicknesses. That means you’ll use fewer boards, and the boards are easier to work with. Plus, Sto GPS Board is installed using Sto TurboStick or Sto TurboStick Mini, so there are no mechanical fasteners, which means faster, easier installation and no thermal bridging.

Excels in Extreme Climates

The thermal resistance of the Sto GPS Board gets better as temperatures drop. It is rated at R4.7 per inch at 75°F per ASTM C578; at 40°F, it attains R4.9 per inch. In addition, the closed-cell design is moisture vapor semi-permeable. This allows a board in contact with water to dry out, helping preserve high insulation performance and facilitating moisture egress from wall systems.

Better for the Environment

As a result of the manufacturing method and the slimmer size of the panels, Sto GPS Board has excellent long-term R-value stability. With Sto GPS Board, very little additional material is needed, and the cost difference is negligible. The payoff is reduced building energy consumption, better building operating economics, and reduced emission of greenhouse gases. Did we mention that it’s also recyclable? Sto GPS insulation can be reused to make other products, so it never has to end up in a landfill.

Compatible with Sto’s Advanced Wall Systems

StoGPS Board is an integral part of our perfect wall, but it’s only the beginning. Sto GPS Board can be used as part of StoTherm^® ci GPS, StoTherm^® ci MVES, StoPowerwall^® ci, and StoPanel GPS ci.

Innovation, Inside and Out

We’ve talked about the innovation inside the walls, but what about the cladding and finishes on the outside? Sto GPS insulation works beautifully with StoCast Wood and StoCast Brick, which creates an authentic look while reducing costs, installation time, and the impact on our environment. Don’t forget about Sto’s high performance coatings and finishes, including Stolit Lotusan and StoColor Lotusan. These products mimic the self-cleaning capabilities of the lotus leaf, resisting dirt pick-up while keeping walls clean and attractive. Sto’s Specialty Finishes may also be used with GPS systems. For a complete look at Sto’s finish options, visit our website.

In addition to being compatible with StoTherm ci system, Sto GPS Board is also compatible with StoPowerwall, a premium integrated stucco wall system featuring a superior drainage plane and R5.0 or R10 Sto GPS Board continuous exterior Insulation; StoTherm ci MVES, designed for thin brick, natural stone, ceramic tile, or cultured stone; and StoPanel GPS ci, a lightweight prefabricated wall panel system.

Sto GPS Insulation: Protecting Our Future

Sto GPS insulation is the future of insulation. It not only offers superior, efficient insulation but is also recyclable.  By choosing Sto GPS Boards, you are making a commitment to a greener, more sustainable future. To see a comparison between GPS and other traditional insulation, visit our blog. To learn more about Sto’s Wall systems, visit our system finder page. Or to find the best Sto Wall System for your project, check out the Sto Wall Selector.

The post GPS Insulation: Leaner and Greener appeared first on Sto Corp..

While stucco facades as a whole weigh on average 142 pounds per square foot, one layer of a brick facade weighs about 509 pounds. As a lighter alternative to stucco and brick, fiber cement facade weighs 2.5 pounds per square feet. However, the problem is that it remains more delicate and, therefore, less durable and can only be used in specific locations.

This leads to the necessity of a profound lightweight facade option—one weighing 8–10 pounds per square foot on average—that provides style, durability, and function  simultaneously.

Modern Lightweight Facade Options with Sto Corp.

Sto Corp’s lightweight facade options can help architects and builders meet their projects’ aesthetic and performance challenges for commercial, residential, industrial, and institutional building projects. The design, details, and engineering of StoTherm® ci exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS) facades create a high-performing, eye-catching system that saves energy and stays attractive for years. StoTherm® ci improves indoor comfort and air quality while maintaining maximum curb appeal and lowering overall life-cycle costs.

Lightweight StoTherm® EIFS cladding systems combine continuous insulation, StoGuard® air and water-resistant barrier, and drainage to protect against moisture infiltration and enhance energy efficiency. Architects and builders can achieve various aesthetic goals for new and retrofit construction using Sto finishes, including StoCast resin-cast shapes, StoSignature®, and Sto Specialty Aesthetic Finishes.

StoTherm® ci EIFS Creates a Net Zero Energy Home 

David Peabody of Peabody Architects chose StoTherm® ci EIFS for its lower installation costs than high-pressure laminate panels and traditional mineral wool batts to meet the Passive House design principles. They also utilized Stolit® Lotusan®, a super hydrophobic textured finish with self-cleaning properties, to create a clean, crisp, appearance to achieve the homeowner’s and architect’s aesthetic vision.

Click here to download this case study today for free.

Complete Aesthetic Freedom with Sto Finishes

Sto finishes offer architects a wide variety of textures, shapes and color options to enhance the building’s design and blend in with the surrounding environment for new and retro projects. Sto manufactures its finishes to the highest standards to create durable finishes that resist dirt and water, protect the building, and enhance its curb appeal and value while achieving the desired aesthetic, including wood, brick, stone, stucco, and concrete.

StoCast – Custom Cast Resin Shapes

Lightweight, flexible, prefabricated StoCast resin cast shapes mimic natural textures, such as bricks and wood, while integrating enhanced performance qualities. Builders and architects can use SoCast products on various Sto-engineered wall cladding systems.

Benefits of StoCast Resin Shapes

Sustainable

StoCast offers lightweight, thinner cladding options than traditional claddings, to significantly lessen energy used in manufacturing and transportation and reduce structural waste and load. StoCast also lacks silica which makes it safe to handle. 

Quick to Apply

Fast and easy-to-apply prefabricated StoCast shapes do not require specialized training. In addition, StoCast shapes do not require fasteners, which speeds up the application process in the field or offsite construction.

Low-Maintenance and Durable

The durable, UV-resistant coatings and finishes used to make StoCast products do not warp, chip, or effloresce (like their traditional counterparts), which minimizes maintenance and recoating needs.

Perfect for Multi-Cladding Aesthetic Designs

StoCast products combined with traditional Sto finishes and used with Sto’s engineered wall systems can achieve various looks without complex transitions, to help ensure the continuity and compatibility of all the building envelope’s control layers.

StoCast Brick

For over 40 years, lightweight StoCast Brick has created beautiful natural brick designs. 

Benefits and features of StoCast Brick include:

• Sustainability: StocCast Brick uses significantly less energy for manufacturing and transportation than traditional brick. In addition, StoCast Brick lacks silica and dust which makes it safe to handle.
• Aesthetics: StoCast Brick offers 30 standard colors plus project-specific colors, patterns, and textures, along with numerous flexible shapes to achieve unique designs 
• Easy-to-Install: StoCast Brick comes in preformed shapes that are adhered to substrate and can be easily cut using shears.
• Low-Maintenance: StoCast Brick and its adhesive are cement free which will reduce the risk of efflorescence.
• Lightweight: Lower structural requirements and reduce transportation and shipping costs versus traditional brick.

StoCast Brick for Mixed-Use Building

Architect: Nick Swerdfeger Architects
General Contractor: Wilkinson Construction Services Inc.
Wall Panel Engineer: SkyRise Prefab Building Solutions

Panel Type: StoPanel® Classic NExT ci, StoCast Brick and StoSignature® Stone

The design intent for the 109 King Street project was to match the look and feel of the heritage brick facades on nearby historical buildings. Large windows with very little panel surface area created unusual design challenges. The use of StoCast Brick accommodated the large windows that offered no room to support a heavy wall of traditional brick without compromising the desired aesthetic.

StoCast Wood

Lightweight, flexible StoCast Wood delivers a natural wood appearance with resin-cast wood grain planks. Builders and architects can install StoCast Wood over Sto engineered building enclosure systems, concrete, stucco, concrete masonry walls, ceilings, and soffits.

Benefits and Features of StoCast Wood include:

• Aesthetics: StoCast Wood offers architects design flexibility with 45 different wood grains, non-repeating patterns, and flexible planks to achieve unique designs. In addition, the planks can be stained with StoColor® Wood Stain, available in 25 standard colors in glossy or matte finish, or may be coated with any of Sto’s high performance architectural coatings.
• East to Apply: Builders can easily cut with shears and attach preformed planks to the substrate with adhesive without fasteners.
• Sustainable: StoCast Wood uses significantly less energy for manufacturing and transportation than natural or engineered wood. 
• Low-Maintenance: Durable, reinforced StoCast Wood acrylic planks won’t chip, fade, or warp.

StoCast Wood for The B-Line Condominium Development 

General Contractor: Skyrise Prefab Building Solutions
Architect: John Romanov | Romanov and Romanov Architects
Applicator: Skyrise Prefab Building Solutions

The B-Line condominium development project had several challenges to overcome in order to meet the demands of the client:

• The need to accommodate a complicated design with multiple finishes
• The client/developer desired a continuous insulation solution 
• A tight, constricted job site

The StoPanel® Classic NExT ci panel system with Sto’s nearly endless aesthetic selections provided a complete solution to these challenges. The use of a StoPanel Classic NExT ci system with StoCast Wood and StoCast Brick created the desired aesthetics easily on one continuous system without the need to concerns of challenging transitions.

StoSignature®

StoSignature® makes it easy to create unique aesthetics with an endless blend of customized and high-quality color, texture, and profile finishes applicable to any Sto tested and trusted engineered wall system. 

• StoSignature® Impression Finishes subtly evoke the impression of other materials, like stone, brick, wood, and concrete. 
• StoSignature® Texture utilizes various aggregate sizes to create stippled or rilled textures: linear, fine, or rough. 
• StoSignature® Color offers architects an elaborate color system for complete design freedom. There are subtly tinted or bold colors, transparent or stain, for an endless variety of combinations of tone and texture accents that highlight the unique surface structure of the facade.

Learn more about StoSignature at https://www.stocorp.com/stosignature/.

StoSignature® Stone and Lightweight EIFS 

Location: New York, New York USA
Building Type: Hospitality
System Type: Aesthetics, EIFS
Systems & Products: EIFS, Stolit Lotusan, StoSignature Stone, StoTherm ci
Construction Type: New
Construction Method: Field-Built
Case Study: Click Here

The slender 32-story tower, designed by Nobutaka Ashihara Architect P.C. and developed by Lexin Capital, is a striking sight. Its abundance of smoky glass windows alternates with vertical strips that have the look and feel of traditional limestone. The stone at the building’s base is comprised of two-inch manufactured limestone panels, while the cladding on the upper stories of the 300-foot building consists of StoTherm® ci Lotusan® with StoSignature® Stone to achieve the limestone aesthetic. “Using the StoSignature Stone application technique with Stolit Lotusan finish gave us the ability to mimic other cladding types,” said Anjo Duffy, project manager with ECI Contracting in Mount Vernon, New York. “StoTherm ci Lotusan with the StoSignature Stone aesthetic proved easier and lighter to work with, and there was no on-site engineering required.

Specialty Aesthetic Finishes

Sto Specialty Aesthetic Finishes offer endless design possibilities with cost savings and long-term performance. These lightweight finishes by Sto reduce structural requirements and require fewer specialty trades, further reducing costs of construction.

Trowel-applied, lightweight StoCreativ® Granite looks like polished or cut granite. Builders can use acrylic-based, durable, low-maintenance StoCreativ® Granite for interior and exterior wall finish for renovation and new construction.

StoCreativ® Lux combines the depth and texture of natural stone with reflective material’s luster at a fraction of the cost of real metal or stone. Architects can choose from six looks to create durable and intricate architectural shapes. Builders can use lightweight and trowel-applied StoCreativ® Lux for exterior and interior applications.

Sto Decocoat is known for its incredible durability and low maintenance. Coming in 32 different colors, the advanced wall coating is engineered to perform exceptionally well in areas of high-traffic. Sto Decocoat is easy to clean and easy to patch.

Available in 15 different colors, StoColor® Metallic can be applied over smooth or textured surfaces, creating a custom metallic appearance at a fraction of the cost of metal panels.

Although Stolit® Milano is very fine, sandable and is an extremely workable finish for interior or exterior wall surfaces. Having the ability to yield more coverage than other products on the market, Stolit® Milano can be used for a variety of decorative textures, ranging from fine grit to ultra smooth metallic.

Often used over existing EIFS, stucco, or Sto finish, StoTique is a stain used to achieve mottled and variegated effect. Not to mention, it can be used for interior or exterior coating, labeling it as a versatile coating both in both decorative design and function.

As an acrylic-based interior and exterior wall finish, Sto GraniTex™ is durable and requires little maintenance, making it an excellent choice for construction and renovation projects. It is also available in a range of color combinations to help create the aesthetic qualities of natural stone. Architects and builders can apply this as a finish  coating for Sto cladding systems.

Case Study: 309 East Paces Ferry Rd

Location: Atlanta, Georgia USA
Building Type: Mixed Use
System Type: Aesthetics, Prefabricated Wall Panels
Systems & Products: StoCreativ Granite, StoPanel Classic NExT ci, StoSignature Brick
Construction Type: Renovation
Construction Method: Prefabrication
Case Study: Click Here

Originally having an outdated appearance and building structure, the 309 East Paces required modifications to help it withstand the test of time—both physically and aesthetically. Because brick and granite were part of the design choices made for the building’s upgrade, StoSignature®  Brick and StoCreativ Granite finishes were used to help the designers and architects complete a modern exterior appearance in record time—one that could endure decades more of exterior intolerances.

Sto Lightweight Facade Options For Your Building’s Exterior

Sto Corp’s lightweight, durable, energy-efficient facade options will help you meet your project’s aesthetic and performance challenges. StoTherm ci creates a high-performing, eye-catching system that saves energy and stays attractive for years. StoTherm® ci improves indoor comfort and air quality while maintaining maximum curb appeal and lowering overall life-cycle costs. Sto finishes, including StoCast, StoSignature®, and Sto Specialty Aesthetic Finishes, will help you achieve all your aesthetic goals!

Contact the team of Sto professionals today at (800) 221-2397 for more on Sto’s lightweight facade options.

The post Lightweight Facade Options appeared first on Sto Corp..

Unfortunately, the building industry struggles to take advantage of these construction opportunities due to labor shortages and supply chain problems, which can slow, if not stop, construction schedules.

For building companies to benefit from the current hospitality construction market, they must redirect their building practices towards cost-effective building materials and less labor-intensive construction methods, like prefabricated construction.

What is Prefab Construction?

Experienced fabricators manufacture customized, project-specific finished exterior wall panels to specifications that meet requirements for fully-engineered, tested and code compliant systems. The prefab walls include exterior cladding (like stone, wood, stucco, or other material), fenestration, air/water/vapor barrier control systems, insulation, flashing, and structural framing. After transporting the prefabricated wall systems to the job site, a relatively small number of workers can lift and install the prefabricated panels following the architect’s plans.

Sto Panel Technology® Prefabricated Wall Panels

Sto Panel Technology® prefabricated wall panels provide architects and contractors with a superior sustainable solution to many of the challenges of hospitality construction, including labor shortages and supply chain problems, to help ensure that the projects stay within budget and on time, and meet code and safety requirements. Prefabricated construction offers building owners long-lasting and energy-efficient complete building envelope systems with a wide variety of aesthetic facade choices

Why Use Prefab Construction in Hospitality?

Prefab construction for new and renovation projects adds many short and long-term benefits to the hospitality industry to help ensure the financial success of their businesses.

Hastens the Construction Timeline

Prefabrication quickens the completion of the hotel’s exterior, to save money and allow for quicker access to the hotel’s interior. Prefab hospitality construction will enable owners to begin collecting revenues sooner.

Prefabrication quickens construction timelines because:

• Installation takes days or weeks, not months, like conventional construction
• Manufacturing in a controlled manufacturing environment eliminates weather or other field conditions that can delay construction schedules
• Allows workers to complete a vertical expansion of a hotel quickly
• Manufacturing panels in quality-controlled factories allows for building envelope inspection, testing, and checking before installing at the project site

Helps Hospitality Projects Stay on Budget

Choosing prefab construction will help hotel owners save money, which allows them to redirect those savings elsewhere on the project:

• Lightweight panels reduce job site labor, require less specialized trades, limit the use of scaffolding, and lessen structural needs
• Minimizes debris and construction waste and debris, which saves money
• A single-source warranty to give owners added protection

Improves Quality Control

Manufacturing of prefabricated wall panels occurs in a climate-controlled indoor environment by an experienced crew and precise machine equipment. The process ensures uniform quality between the sub-assemblies of the structure and conformity to the building code.

Sustainable, Prefabricated Wall Panels

A sustainable hotel aims to minimize water and energy use, limit carbon emissions, and create long-lasting hospitality buildings – all features that save time and money on repairing or rebuilding. Builders can also quickly retrofit an existing hotel with prefabricated wall panels, an aesthetic, energy-saving, economical, and sustainable alternative to new construction. Sustainable benefits of prefab construction include:

• Manufacturing prefab walls inside a facility can cut job site waste compared to traditional construction. It also allows for the in-house recycling of materials.
• The controlled environment of a prefabricated factory ensures more precise construction, tighter joints, and adequate storage of materials, to enhance the final product’s overall quality and energy efficiency.
• Factory-built construction significantly reduces truck traffic, material suppliers, and equipment around the job site, which minimizes soil disturbance and erosion of the area.

Aesthetic Flexibility of Prefabricated Wall Panels

A well-designed, aesthetically pleasing hotel helps attract visitors and enhance their experience so they will return and recommend your hotel to other travelers.
Prefabrication offers architects several significant aesthetic benefits:

• Design flexibility allows architects to match or complement the aesthetics of the original building.
• Provides a way to quickly rebrand a hotel without completely rebuilding.
• Aesthetic flexibility, from a modern, sleek design to classic metal, brick, and stone.

Hilton Home 2 Suites

Hilton Home 2 Suites
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Building Type: Hospitality
System Type: Prefabricated Wall PanelsPanel Type: StoPanel® Classic ci
Construction Type: New
Construction Method: Prefabrication

Hyatt House

Hyatt House
Location: Nashville, TN
Owner: Songy Highroads
General Contractor: Reeves & Young
Architect: Wakefeld Beasley & Assoc.
Building Type: Hotel
Onsite Assembly Date: 2018
Panel Type: StoPanel® Classic NExT ci

Utilizing prefabricated, quick and easy-to-install StoPanel® Classic NExT ci panels with an acrylic textured finish provided the building team with a means to accelerate the time schedule and achieve a stunning hotel with a durable, self-cleaning Lotusan finish.

Hilton Canopy Hotel

Hilton Canopy Hotel
Location: Tempe, AZ
Owner: Driftwood Hospitality Management
General Contractor: Sundt Construction
Architect: Allen + Philp Partners
Engineer: Engineer of Record – PK
Engineer for panel system via MKB: Lochsa Engineering
Building Type: Hotel
Onsite Assembly Date: 2nd Quarter 2019
Panel Type: StoPanel® Classic NExT ci and StoPanel® Dri-Design®

Kapture Prefab used StoPanel® Classic NExT ci with StoPanel® Dri-Design® panels to meet the challenges of a unique design, quick timeline, and tight job site:

The Arizona State University hotel required installing StoPanel® Dri-Design® metal panels on the building’s exterior so that the colors and panels represent the notes of the school’s fight song. StoPanel® prefabrication lessened the time schedule by three months compared to traditional construction methods.
Closely surrounded by buildings, one of them just 3 feet away, workers could safely position the prefab panels using controlled taglines and a tower crane.

Great Wolf Lodge

Great Wolf Lodge
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Owner: Great Wolf Lodge
General Contractor: Mortenson
Architect: Gensler Engineer ASE
Building Type: Hospitality
Onsite Assembly Date: August 2019
Panel Type: StoPanel® Classic NExT ci

Kapture Prefab chose StoPanel® Classic NExT ci panels to overcome installation access issues. In addition, the project needed to limit disruptions to a neighboring big-league spring training center. The prefabricated panels cut the timeline by 6 to 8 weeks. They also mitigated job site debris and construction noise, which benefited the nearby big-league facility.

Aloft & Element Hotel

Aloft & Element Hotel
Location: Austin, TX
Owner: White Lodging
General Contractor: DPR Construction
Architect: HKS Dallas
Engineer: Matsen Ford Design
Building Type: Hospitality
Onsite Assembly Date: Summer 2017
Panel Type: StoPanel® Classic ci and StoPanel® Dri-Design®

Utilizing StoPanel® Classic ci and StoPanel® Dri-Design® on the facade of the White Lodging hotel required only six onsite workers. Furthermore, prefab construction accelerated the dry-in schedule and enhanced the aesthetic appeal in downtown Austin.

Choose Sto Panel® Prefab Technology for Your Next Hospitality Project

Sto Panel Technology® offers builders and architects of new and renovation hospitality projects extensive design flexibility while meeting their performance, scheduling, and budget demands. Our prefabricated wall panels contribute to durable, energy-efficiency, and low-maintenance hotels, all features that will save time and money!

Contact one of our experts today at 800-545-6087 or download Industry Shift: The Acceleration of Panelization to learn more about prefab construction in hospitality.

The post The Use of Prefab Construction in Hospitality appeared first on Sto Corp..

309 East Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA

Benefits for Contractors

The straightforward installation of prefabricated facade panels with installed windows significantly saves time and money because:

• The panels require less job site labor and fewer specialized trades.
• Workers install the panels at ground level in controlled conditions, which improves worker safety.
• It eliminates the need for temporary enclosures at window openings.
• All job site work is done from the interior to simplify and minimize equipment needs and maximize worker safety.
• Lightweight panels reduce loads, which impacts the overall structure.

Benefits for Architects

Sto prefabricated exterior cladding panels provide architects design flexibility with many textures, colors, shapes, and material types to fit the needs of most aesthetic and architectural designs. The manufacturers assemble the prefabricated facade panels with installed windows in a controlled environment which eliminates problems due to inclement weather or other outside factors, to produce wall systems to the specified design.

Benefits for Project Managers

Prefabricated facade panels with installed windows significantly lower costs, because they can:

• Optimize the construction schedule
• Lower foundation and insurance costs
• Minimize construction waste and debris
• Test windows in the factory before shipping them to the job site
• Reduce the need for on-site scaffolding and cranes

Benefits for Developers and Owners

Prefabricated facade panels with installed windows provide a condensed project timeline and schedule savings, for quick building occupancy and revenue generation. In addition, prefab wall panels often offer a single-source warranty, to give developers and owners added protection and peace of mind.

StoPanels and Windows

StoPanel® Technology partnered with Kawneer (8225TL and AA4325) and Pella® Impervia® fiberglass windows to develop integrated, prefabricated exterior wall and window systems. The complete building envelope solution (fully tested to ASTM standards) simplifies window installation, reduces material and labor costs, and limits the risk of air leaks.

With the largest network of affiliates, Sto Panel Technology prefabricated, finished wall panels are fabricated and installed via experienced affiliates across the U.S. and Canada.

StoPanel® Technology

StoPanel® Technology offers finished exterior wall panels for a high-performing building envelope. The StoPanel® system panels contain cold-formed metal framing, continuous insulation, air and weather-resistive barrier, glass mat sheathing, sub-framing, and facade aesthetics.

StoPanel® Technology branded, tested, proven, and warranted prefabricated finished wall panel designs provide contractors, architects, project managers, owners, and developers with a recognizable, high-quality standard for creating and installing a building’s exterior walls.

StoPanel® with Kawneer 8225TL and AA4325 Windows

Pre-installing the Kawneer receptor system in the lightweight StoPanels at the StoPanel® prefabrication facility minimizes on-site construction defects, maximizes the building envelope’s performance, and simplifies assembly. We test the StoPanel® and the Kawneer 8225TL and AA4325 window packages to meet the design pressures of 40 and 50 PSF.

Benefits of StoPanel® with Kawneer 8225TL & AA4325 Windows

Sustainable: Kawneer’s 8225TL and AA4325 aluminum window systems are naturally environmentally friendly.

Temperature Resistant: Kawneer’s aluminum material withstands high and low-temperature extremes without warping in order to minimize contraction and expansion.

Low Maintenance: They feature a maintenance-free window finish with the option of one of six anodized finishes or custom painted finish in today‘s most popular color palette.

Aesthetic Flexibility: Modern, narrow sightlines apply to any aesthetics – from contemporary to traditional.
Fully Tested: The assembly meets ASTM E283, ASTM E331, and ASTM E330 standards.

StoPanel® with Pella® Impervia® Fiberglass Windows

Pre-installing Pella® Impervia® Fiberglass Windows in the lightweight panels at the StoPanel® prefabrication facility minimizes on-site construction defects, maximizes the building envelope’s performance, and simplifies assembly. We test the StoPanel® and the Pella® Impervia® Fiberglass Windows packages to meet the design pressures of 50 PSF.

Benefits of StoPanel® with Pella® Impervia® Fiberglass Windows

Sustainable: Made of fiberglass, they are naturally environmentally friendly.Temperature Resistant: Pella® fiberglass material resists high heat and low temperatures without warping or becoming brittle.
Low-Maintenance: They are maintenance-free with a powder-coat painted finish that comes in today’s most popular color palette.
Aesthetic Flexibility: Modern, narrow sightlines apply to any aesthetics – from contemporary to traditional.
Fully Tested: Complete system tested to ASTM E283, ASTM E547, and ASTM E330 standards.

Why Integrate StoPanel® Technology with Windows?

Fully integrating StoPanel® Technology with Kawneer aluminum (8225TL and AA4325) or Pella® Impervia® fiberglass windows will produce a prefabricated exterior wall and window system that offers contractors, architects, project managers, and developers many benefits:

• Improved job safety
• Less time and money
• Limits risk
• Maximizes aesthetic options
• Hastens occupancy
• Allows for a single-source warranty

In addition, the complete building envelope system contributes towards sustainable, energy-efficient, durable, and low-maintenance construction.

Don’t hesitate to contact our Sto prefab professionals or visit our website to learn more about fully integrating StoPanel® prefabricated facade panels with windows!

The post Fully Integrated Prefabricated Façade Panels w/ Window Compatibility appeared first on Sto Corp..

Modern Issues with Traditional Building Projects

Weather Delays

In 2021, weather and climate disasters in the U.S. cost over $1 billion, which significantly impacted the construction industry. Yearly, weather delays impact 45 percent of construction projects worldwide, costing billions of dollars. The increasing intensity and frequency of weather events due to climate change continues to threaten to accelerate construction delays.

Labor Shortages

The continuing lack of skilled and unskilled construction workers makes it challenging for building professionals to stay on schedule and budget. According to Associated General Contractors of America’s 2023 Construction Outlook National Survey, 80 percent of building professionals report difficulty filling hourly and salaried positions, with 58 percent predicting this will worsen over the next 12 months. In addition, 72 percent of building professionals indicated an increase in base pay rates between 2021 and 2022 to attract workers.

Supply Chain Issues

Since 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic, transport bottlenecks, and geopolitical uncertainties have created supply chain issues that have impacted the availability of construction materials and created long lead times and volatile prices, which has made it challenging to estimate project costs accurately and stay on schedule.

In 2023, building professionals report the following most significant concerns:

• Material costs (73 percent)
• Project delays due to supply chain issues (63 percent)

Prefab Wall Construction

To combat the challenges of weather, labor shortages, and supply chain issues, builders are increasingly turning to sustainable prefab panelization, like Sto’s prefabrication solution, Sto Panel® Technology, which helps them stay on schedule and budget.

Inspira Medical Center & Medical Office Building – Mullica Hill, NJ

Jersey Panel utilized an exterior prefab solution for this ground-up healthcare project to ensure they met the clients’ aesthetic financial and deadline needs. Jersey Panel provided the engineering, fabrication, shipping, and installation of a total of 121,000 ft2 of prefabricated wall panels, including:

• StoPanel® Brick ci using a masonry stone veneer
• StoPanel® Metal ci in both ACM and corrugated metal panels
• StoPanel Classic NExT ci using Sto’s unique Stolit® Lotusan® textured finish

To read the full case study, click here.

What is Prefab Panelization Wall Construction?

Under controlled conditions, prefab manufactures custom-build panelized wall systems in off-site factories using advanced machine technology and following specific codes and standards. Sto’s prefabricated wall panels include fenestration, cold-formed metal framing, insulation, water/air/vapor barrier systems, flashing, structural framing, and exterior finishes (like stucco, stone, wood, or other material) in a vast choice of finishes to fit the aesthetic needs of any building project.

After transporting the prefabricated finished exterior wall panels to the job site, workers lift and position the panels (without dangerous scaffolding), according to the engineer’s and architect’s plans.

NOTE: The success of a project depends tremendously on early planning, the application of proper prefabricated building techniques, and good communication between the architect, GC, and panel manufacturer.

Prefab Makes Construction Easy – The Benefits of Prefab Wall Construction

Prefab wall construction provides several benefits that save money and time and contribute towards sustainability. Prefab wall construction can cut production time in half. In addition, a recent University of South Australia study also concluded that prefabricated (modular) construction could lower building costs by 0.6 percent – a significant savings, considering the average construction profit margin is 4.2 percent.

Prefab Lessens Labor and Equipment Needs

Prefabricated wall panels significantly lessen the number of skilled labor installers needed on the job site, which is particularly beneficial as contractors struggle with ongoing skilled labor shortages. In addition, the use of prefab exterior walls also limits the amount of scaffolding used on site, reducing equipment costs and increasing the safety of employees..

Prefab Reduces Weather Delays

With prefabrication of the wall panels occurring in manufacturing facilities, delays on the job site due to weather and subcontractor scheduling delays are reduced.

Prefab Minimizes Supply Waste

Manufacturing prefab walls inside a facility can reduce product packaging and excess product on the job site by nearly 50 percent (compared to traditional construction), that results in savings on material costs..

Sustainable Prefab Wall Systems

Prefabricated wall panels contribute significantly to sustainable construction:

Embodied Carbon Footprint

• Prefabricating walls within a factory setting allows for more precise construction, tighter joints, and proper storage of materials, to enhance the wall system’s quality and performance.
• Factory-built wall panels significantly reduce job site truck traffic, equipment, and material suppliers, which minimizes soil disturbance at the job site.
• Reduces the embodied carbon footprint of the project through reduced freight, reduced waste and materials, and a smaller number of crew members.

Operational Carbon Footprint

Reduced operational carbon footprint through the use of continuous insulation and air and water-resistive barriers to create a more energy-efficient building.
Prefabricated panels provide continuous insulation and seamless air and moisture barriers, to create superior energy efficiency and airtightness levels.

Sto Panel Technology

Atlantic Prefab manufactured off-site 50,000 ft2 of StoPanel® Classic ci panels for the Apex Entertainment Facility while on-site workers framed the Apex project, which allowed them to enclose the building in only six weeks.

Straightforward and efficient to install, fully-engineered, code-compliant, and tested Sto Panel® Technology prefabricated-finished exterior wall panels offer the building industry advantages that can combat weather delays, labor shortages, and supply chain issues. In addition, Sto Panel Technology helps create sustainable, long-lasting structures.

The StoPanel® system contains cold-formed metal framing and other valuable components, including air and water-resistive barrier, continuous insulation, glass mat sheathing, sub-framing, and many aesthetic surface options, including metal, brick, and natural stone.

The Future of Efficient, Sustainable Construction – Prefabrication

Architects designed the facade of the lower two-story retail portions of this Chicago residential midrise tower with a stylish tile mosaic wrapped around the building. The complex job required 20,660 ft2 of StoPanel® Backup with mosaic tile, StoPanel® Classic ci, and StoPanel® Metal ci. The design also included punched windows, to create the look of ribbon windows.

Prefabrication offers architects, builders, and prefabricated panel manufacturers an integrated, building envelope solution to staying on schedule and budget and creating sustainable industrial, commercial, residential, institutional, and industrial structures that combat today’s labor shortage, supply chain issues, and intensified weather concerns. To learn more about Sto’s prefabrication solution, Sto Panel Technology, download the article “The Acceleration of Panelization”.

Don’t hesitate to contact our Sto prefab professionals or visit our website and start designing today.

The post Prefabrication on the Rise: Understanding the Rapid Growth of the Prefab Market appeared first on Sto Corp..

Severe weather conditions can impact a construction job site by:

• Slowing, if not stopping, a construction project
• Threatening workers safety
• Disrupting supply chains which can slow construction and increase the cost of building materials
• Damaging construction equipment and materials

The increasing frequency and intensity of weather events due to climate change has threatened to accelerate weather-related construction delays. Therefore, the construction industry must consider innovative materials and methods to reduce weather delays, like prefabricated wall systems and a weatherproofing plan.

Prefabricated Exterior Wall Panels

Prefabricated finished exterior wall panels are manufactured through partnerships between leading contractors, fabricators, and manufacturers like Sto Corp. Fully engineered and tested panels are custom-built in off-site fabrication shops under controlled conditions, using advanced machine technology meeting specific quality standards.

Indoor prefabricated or modular construction can lessen jobsite weather delays. It can also cut production time in half and reduce waste by 50 percent. A recent University of South Australia study concluded that prefabricated (modular) construction could lessen building costs by 0.6 percent – a significant savings considering the average construction profit margin is only 4.2 percent.

What Are Prefab Wall Panels?

Prefab wall panels include exterior finish (like brick, wood, textured finishes, metal, concrete or other materials), air/water/vapor barrier control systems, flashing, insulation, and structural framing. Some, like StoPanel Classic NExt ci, include fenestration.

Prefab wall panels include exterior cladding (like stone, wood, stucco, or other material), fenestration, air/water/vapor barrier control systems, flashing, insulation, and structural framing. After transporting the prefabricated wall systems to the job site, workers simply lift and install the panels according to the architect’s plans. Prefab panels makes construction easy.

NOTE: The success of a prefab project depends tremendously on early planning, the application of proper prefabricated building techniques, and good communication between the architect, GC, and panel manufacturer.

Sto Panelized Wall Construction

Jersey Panel, a member of the Sto Panel Technology Affiliate network, replaced the metal panels of this college dormitory with StoPanel® Classic ci panels. Prefabricating the panels off-site allowed for the completion of the exterior building envelope before winter, which allowed for interior work during the region’s cold temperatures and heavy snowfall.

Sto’s prefabrication solution, Sto Panel® Technology lessens construction costs, contributes to sustainability, improves quality control, lessens onsite labor needs, and enhances job site safety.

Sto prefab wall panels lessen construction costs by minimizing weather delays, accelerating project delivery time, reducing subcontractor scheduling, minimizing waste, lowering security costs, and reducing the number of skilled labor installers required on the job site.

Sto prefabricated wall panels contribute to sustainability by cutting raw material waste, recycling materials, and improving the energy efficiency of the wall system. In addition, the use of prefab wall panels significantly lessens equipment, labor and waste on the job site and decreases the amount of traffic, dirt and noise for the surrounding community.

Manufacturing of Sto prefabricated finished exterior wall panels occurs in quality-controlled factories through partnerships forged between leading contractors, fabricators, and Sto Corp. Experienced crews and precise machine equipment ensure uniform quality between the sub-assemblies of the structure and conformity to building code, which improves quality construction. In addition, fabricators can work out flaws in the prefab walls in the factory setting before any product reaches the job site.

Sto prefabricated panels improve the safety of workers by reducing the risk of worker injury and lessening workers’ exposure to dangerous rain, wind, lightning, and changing ground conditions. In addition, prefabricated wall panels come to the job site pre-assembled to drop into place with a crane, which eliminates scaffolding hazards and other onsite building methods for a multi-floor wall.

In the depths of a Canadian winter, SkyRise Prefab Building Solutions engineered, manufactured, and quickly installed 17,000 ft2 of StoPanel Classic NExT ci panels without the use of scaffolding.

Easy to install, fully-engineered, tested, and code-compliant Sto Panel® Technology prefabricated finished exterior wall panels provide the building industry with benefits that can reduce high-performing building envelope installation time without sacrificing quality.

The StoPanel® system contains cold-formed metal framing and other valuable features, including continuous insulation, air and water-resistive barrier, glass mat sheathing, sub-framing, and various aesthetic surface options, including precast resin shapes (StoCast), metal, brick, natural stone, and modern, energy-efficient lightweight textured finishes and coating systems.

Implement a Weatherproofing Plan to Reduce Weather Delays

A weatherproofing plan can help you reduce weather delays and stay on time and budget. A waterproofing plan can also help protect your materials and equipment and ensure the safety of the site and workers against severe weather events. Here are a few tips to include in your weatherproofing plan for your construction job site:

• Cover the flat roof area with a polyurethane liquid membrane
• Onsite materials should be stored in shady, covered areas in moderate temperatures (between 50 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit).
• Keep the water pumps close to the job site to eliminate any excess water
• Provide a dry space for masonry kits, especially during the winter
• Use hessian sheets to protect brickwork and large blocks from rainwater
• Provide personal protective equipment to the construction crew
• Utilized safety mechanisms, like guardrails
• Provide quick access to emergency kits

Reducing Weather Delays for Your Building Envelope Construction Projects with Sto Prefabricated Panels

Sto Panel Technology’s fully-engineered, tested, and warranted prefabricated finished exterior wall panels help you reduce weather delays for your next building envelope construction project. Sto Panel® Technology is a less labor-intensive solution that reduces building envelope installation time without sacrificing quality.

Get in touch with StoPanel® professionals today for more tips on reducing weather delays, or learn more about panelization for your next building envelope construction project by downloading The Acceleration of Panelization.

The post Reduce Weather Delays for Your Building Envelope Construction Projects appeared first on Sto Corp..

Unfortunately, the building industry may struggle to take advantage of these unprecedented construction opportunities due to a convergence of several challenges:

• Supply chain issues
• Labor shortages
• Soaring construction demand
• Inflation
• Pandemic-related restrictions
• Increasingly severe weather and wildfires
• The war in Ukraine

All these events challenge the construction industry to stay on budget, meet their timelines, and schedule projects. In addition, some contractors report turning down work.

Modular Construction Can Help Overcome Construction Challenges

Prefabricated exterior finished wall panels, like StoPanel Technology®, offer building professionals and owners a method of overcoming challenges in construction that save time, money and resources and improve aesthetics, risk management, sustainability, and indoor environmental quality.

Market research predicts that the global Modular Construction Market size will reach USD 139.03 billion by 2029, from 82.3 billion in 2022, at a CAGR of 6.2 percent during the forecast period of 2023 – 2029.

Contractor Concerns 2023

Today’s construction challenges significantly impact contractors’ ability to run their businesses successfully:

• According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in 2021, 88 percent of contractors reported significant difficulty finding qualified workers skilled in trades like plumbing and carpentry, with 73 percent of contractors citing the worker shortage as their greatest concern in 2022.
• The 2023 Construction Global Market Report published the results of a survey of contractors, that concluded:
  • 68 percent report needing skilled workers to do more work, leading to overtime costs.
  • 56 percent report failing to meet their project schedule timelines due to labor shortages. In fact, only 25 percent of construction projects studied from 2012 to 2015 came within 10 percent of their original deadlines.
  • 50 percent required higher bids due to labor shortages.,
  • 35 percent reported turning down work due to labor shortages.
  • 46 percent cited supply chain issues as a top concern, up from 33 percent in 2022

Construction Challenges in 2023

In 2023, the building industry must overcome challenges in construction, mainly associated with supply chain issues and labor shortages, that impacts their ability to accept and bid on projects, stay on budget, and complete a project on time.

Supply Chain Challenges

In recent years, supply chain inventory shortages, long lead times, and volatile prices have challenged builders to stay on time and budget. The combination of events has led to supply chain issues:

Transportation Issues: Fuel Costs and Driver Shortages

• In 2022, skyrocketing fuel costs affected transportation costs. However, the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) latest gasoline and diesel price forecasts prices to decline in 2023 and 2024.
  • Gasoline predicted prices: $3.39 in 2023 and $3.10 in 2024
  • Diesel predicted prices: $4.23 in 2023 and $3.69 in 2024
• Labor shortages for collecting, producing, manufacturing, and transporting construction materials continue to impact the supply chain. The American Trucking Association reported a historically high truck driver shortage in 2022 of nearly 78,000 drivers, and predicted that it will increase to 160,000 by 2030. Transporting products will likely remain a challenge due to driver shortages, particularly for construction sites in remote locations of the country.

Extreme Weather Events

Recent catastrophic natural events caused significant supply chain disruptions and material price increases. For example:

1. In 2020, California wildfires pushed lumber prices up 50 percent.
2. Hurricane Ian in Florida increased prices and material shortage for drywall, timber, roofing insulation, and other building materials.
3. In 2022, cement and concrete prices rose 14 percent, partially attributed to the following events:
4. Drought caused low water levels on the Mississippi River barges that limited cement movement and other heavy construction materials delivery.
5. In 2021, a winter storm Uri in Texas caused some cement manufacturers to shut down, which resulted in a cement shortage and increasing prices.
6. In addition, a doubling of sand prices to nearly $10 a ton due to its shortage has contributed to higher cement costs.

World Events

World events can significantly impact the global supply chain. For example, a surge in commodity prices, the economic sanctions on multiple countries, and supply chain disruptions due to the Russia-Ukraine war have contributed to global inflation. In addition, the war triggered an increase in export prices of materials like copper, exported by Russia, and aluminum, exported by Ukraine.

Labor Shortages

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 413,000 unfilled construction positions in 2022, which was significantly higher than 345,000 the year before. Consequently, the building industry needs more workers to start new projects or complete jobs on time.

In addition, the BLS predicts a 4 percent increase in construction and extraction occupations from 2021 to 2031 (medium annual wage of nearly $50K) which translates to about 723,400 openings for growth and replacement positions needed yearly.

Additionally, the infrastructure bill will potentially create up to 800,000 jobs by its fourth quarter in 2025.

What is Causing the Labor Shortage?

The construction industry’s labor shortage began when 600,000 skilled workers left their jobs during the 2008 recession, and many have yet to return. The deficit grew with retiring baby boomers and immigration policies, as well as COVID-19. Also, some younger workers believe a four-year college degree will provide a better future over technical trades, which is not necessarily true. Skilled labor jobs provide several significant benefits over a college education:

• Less educational costs and loans
• Life-long job skills with long-term opportunities
• Thousands of good-paying job openings

Overcoming Challenges in Construction with Modular Sto Panel Technology

For the building industry to benefit from the current construction market, they must overcome construction challenges by redirecting their construction practices towards cost-effective and innovative building materials and less labor-intensive construction methods, like Sto Panel Technology, use prefabricated exterior finished wall panels. Sto Panel Technology provides building teams with a superior-quick modular solution to overcoming construction challenges, to help ensure that a construction project stays on schedule and within budget while also meeting code and safety requirements.

The Benefits of Modular Construction

Modular construction lessens building envelope installation time and labor requirements over traditional methods by providing several significant advantages:

• Lessens scaffolding hazards and other on-site building methods for a multi-floor wall, since the wall panels come to the job site pre-assembled to drop into place with a crane
• Limits delays caused by on-site weather factors
• Efficient upfront planning
• Lessens subcontractor scheduling
• Allows for the manufacturing of panels while builders complete the initial site work and the building’s structural framing
• Improves workers’ safety and lessens the risk of worker injury that can cause construction delays
• Lessens the risk of problems associated with dirt, moisture, and environmental hazards to help protect workers.
• Building off-site walls will reduce workers’ exposure to dangerous wind, rain, lightning, and changing ground conditions.

Modular construction offers several other cost-saving benefits:

• Reduces security costs by lessening the risk of theft and vandalism on the project site
• Lowers job site raw material waste by nearly 50 percent compared to conventional construction, to save money and help the environment

Sto Panel Technology

Sto Panel Technology’s thoroughly tested, engineered, and warranted prefabricated finished exterior wall panels will help the building industry overcome construction challenges with a less labor-intensive solution that lessens building envelope installation time without sacrificing quality. StoPanel prefabricated panel systems improve quality control and allow building professionals to benefit from the increasing construction market.

The StoPanel system contains cold-formed metal framing and other valuable components, including: air and water-resistive barrier, continuous insulation, glass mat sheathing, sub-framing, and many aesthetic surface options, including precast resin shapes, brick, metal, natural stone, and modern, energy-efficient lightweight textured coating and finishes systems.

Straightforward-to-install, fully-engineered, tested, and code-compliant Sto Panel Technology prefabricated finished exterior wall panels hasten building envelope installation time by up to 80 percent without sacrificing quality. The system reduces overall building costs and allows contractors to realize profits sooner.

Sto Panel Technology Projects

Architects and builders can use StoPanel systems to quickly and efficiently construct aesthetically attractive and durable healthcare, educational, commercial, industrial buildings and more.

Sarah Cannon Cancer Hospital – Plano, TX

Owner: HCA Healthcare
General Contractor: JE Dunn
Architect: Perkins and Will
Building Type: Healthcare
On-site Assembly Date: December 2018
Panel Type: StoPanel® Classic NExT ci, StoPanel® Dri-Design®, and StoPanel® Backup

Construction of the 138,000 ft2 addition to the Medical City complex in Plano, Texas, came with several expectations:

• An ambitious schedule, both in terms of speed of construction and expectation of on-time completion
• An addition designed to match the existing aesthetics of the adjacent structure

Fortunately, using prefabricated StoPanel Classic NExT ci panels with a Stolit® textured finish helped the building team achieve their aesthetic and scheduling goals. BakerTriangle Prefab installed the 252 StoPanels in 30 days, easily exceeding the schedule and realizing a cost savings of 8.9 percent.

309 East Paces Ferry Rd – Atlanta, GA

Owner: Loudermilk
General Contractor: Balfour Beatty
Architect: Lyman Davidson & Dooley
Building Type: Office/Retail
On-site Assembly Date: March 2017
Panel Type: StoPanel Classic NExT ci
with StoSignature® Brick
and StoCreativ® Granite

Southern Wall Systems fabricated and installed 30,000 ft2 of StoPanel
Classic NExT ci panels with StoSignature Brick and StoCreativ Granite finishes to update the aesthetic performance of this decades-old office building. After fabricating the panel off-site, the on-site installation only took four weeks!

HCA Healthcare – Davie, FL

Owner: HCA Healthcare
General Contractor: Brasfeld & Gorrie
Architect: Earl Swensson Associates, Inc.
Building Type: Healthcare / Hospital
On-site Assembly Date: January 2019
Panel Type: StoPanel Impact ci

Through smart scheduling and subcontractor coordination, Southern Wall Systems accelerated the design, fabrication, and installation of StoPanel Impact ci panels at the Davie, Florida, regional hospital so the facility could begin serving the community on schedule.

The University of Central Florida (UCF) Lake Nona Medical Center – Orlando, FL

Owner: UCF / HCA
General Contractor: Layton Construction
Architect: ESa
Wall Panel Engineer: FDR
Building Type: Healthcare / Hospital
On-site Assembly Date: 2019
Panel Type: StoPanel Classic NExT ci and StoPanel Impact ci
panels

The design of the UCF Lake Nona Medical Center’s building envelope, including the exterior facade, had to meet stringent wind-load and impact requirements needed in hurricane-prone regions. Other challenges to the project included installing glazed openings and curtain walls alongside the erected exterior wall panels and limited site access to underground utilities.

In addition, the building team had to ensure that the project stayed on schedule and budget.

The StoPanel prefabrication process allowed Wal-Mark Contracting to manufacture and install the panels within an accelerated timeline and with fewer workers. It only took eight-panel installation professionals to install 136 panels in eleven days, which allowed them to avoid underground utilities and to exceed their schedule expectations. Conventional field installation would require 30-40 workers, which would cost more and could potentially lead to more job site accidents.

Hilton Canopy Hotel – Tempe, AZ

Owner: Driftwood Hospitality Management
General Contractor: Sundt Construction
Architect: Allen + Philp Partners
Engineer: Engineer of Record – PK
Engineer for panel system via MKB: Lochsa Engineering
Building Type: Hotel
On-site Assembly Date: 2nd Quarter 2019
Panel Type: StoPanel Classic NExT ci and StoPanel Dri-Design®

Kapture Prefab combined StoPanel Classic NExT ci with StoPanel Dri-Design® panels for the Hilton Canopy Hotel in Tempe, Arizona. Utilizing prefab panels on the hotels’ exterior cut the building schedule by three months compared to traditional construction methods.

Hub on Campus – West Lafayette, IN

Owner: Core Spaces
General Contractor: Shiel Sexton Company
Architect: Antunovich Associates
Building Type: Student Housing / Apartments
On-site Assembly Date: May 2019
Panel Type: StoPanel Classic ci

Grayhawk, LLC, and Great Lakes Prefab designed, manufactured, and installed 430 StoPanel Classic ci panels to construct the Hub on Campus, a student housing development. The project site challenged the crew because of its limited space for scaffolding. Fortunately, the small team safely applied the prefabricated StoPanels using just one central tower crane. The architect also met the various design needs with StoSignature Brick and Stolit® 1.5 to mimic a corrugated metal appearance.

Kean University – Union, NJ

Owner: Kean University
General Contractor: Claremont Construction Group
Architect: Netta Architects
Building Type: Student Housing
On-site Assembly Date: December 2017
Panel Type: StoPanel Classic ci and StoPanel Brick ci

Construction of the Kean University dormitory utilized 65,000 ft2 of StoPanel Classic ci and StoPanel Brick ci fully finished walls panels fabricated by Jersey Panel to successfully achieve the detailed multiple texture design and achieve the set-in-stone completion date to ensure housing for the incoming students.

Westwood Storage – Westwood, NJ

Owner: The Hampshire Companies
General Contractor: Hollister Construction
Architect: SNS Architects & Engineers, PC
Engineer: SNS Architects & Engineers
Building Type: Storage
On-site Assembly Date: 2017
Panel Type: StoPanel Classic ci and StoPanel Brick ci

Atlantic Prefab engineered, fabricated, and quickly and efficiently installed approximately 35,000 ft2 of StoPanel solutions, despite the tight working conditions of the job site. In addition, they accommodated the complicated design of multiple textures and design elements through an ingenious combination of StoPanel Classic ci and StoPanel Brick ci.

Cherese Mari Laulhere Children’s Village at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital – Long Beach, CA

Owner: MemorialCare Health System
General Contractor: Turner Construction Company
Architect: c | a Architects
Engineer: Lochsa Engineering
Building Type: Healthcare/Hospital
On-site Assembly Date: April 2020
Panel Type: StoPanel Classic NExT ci and StoPanel Dri-Design®

The building team chose StoPanel Classic NExT ci and StoPanel Dri-Design® to accelerate the exterior wall insulation and provide extra time to complete the elaborate interior work, which reduced the installation time from 6 months to 5 weeks.

The panel’s design also accommodated seismic needs, addressed vital visual alignments, and delivered the intense colors and textures inherent in the design theme of Light, Color, and Energy.

Inspira Medical Center & Medical Office Building – Mullica Hill, NJ

Owner: Inspira Health Network General
Contractor: Skanska
Architect: Array Architects
Building Envelope Contractor: Jersey Panel
Building Type: Healthcare
On-site Assembly Date: October 2019
Panel Type: StoPanel Metal ci, StoPanel Classic NExT ci, StoPanel Brick ci using Stone Veneer

The building team worked together through all phases of the construction to address the construction and aesthetic challenges in the vertical expansion (two floors) of the Inspira Medical Center.

The team chose prefabricated, lightweight, energy-efficient, and durable Sto Panel Technology prefabricated wall panels. Jersey Panel engineered, fabricated, transported, and installed 121,000 ft2 modular facade panels. They combined radiused and flat panels, a microtextured self-cleaning finish, and a thin stone veneer to create a dynamic appearance.

Overcoming Challenges of Construction with Sto Corp. Products

The increasing construction market offers building industry professionals the opportunity to grow their businesses. However, construction challenges, particularly supply chain issues and labor shortages, can make it difficult to stay on budget, meet timelines, and schedule projects.

Fortunately, contractors can overcome construction challenges by choosing Sto Panel Technology‘s modular, prefabricated, integrated building enclosure systems. Our high-performing panel systems require less labor and can hasten the timeline compared to traditional bundling methods.

Don’t hesitate to contact a Sto professional today to learn more about overcoming construction challenges for a profitable and reliable business. To learn more about the use of prefabrication in construction and Sto Panel Technology, click here to download Industry Shift: The Acceleration of Panelization or join the conversation on LinkedIn.

The post Building Through Adversity: Overcoming Challenges in Construction appeared first on Sto Corp..

B-Line Condominiums in Toronto, Canada, utilized StoPanel® Classic NExT ci and StoCast Wood, StoCast Brick, StoSignature® Stone, and StoColor® Acryl Plus to achieve modern, multi-facade aesthetics with continuous insulation.

Modern-Sustainable Buildings Need Unique Aesthetics and Continuous Insulation

Stricter building codes and customers’ demands for sustainable and aesthetically pleasing facades prompt architects and builders to aim for structures that balance beauty, durability, and efficiency.

Why Building Aesthetics Matter

The facade sets the building’s style, from a welcoming front with warm brick, expansive windows, and a large porch to a distinctive facade with glass cladding and asymmetrical windows. An aesthetically pleasing, well-designed building can help attract clients and customers. It can also improve the building’s resale value.

Why Sustainability Matters

Before deciding on a building’s outside aesthetics, the architect and builder must ensure the building’s design includes all the control layers (e.g., CI thermal layer) needed to ensure an energy-efficient and durable building with excellent indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and manageable long-term maintenance, repair, and utility costs.

The Five Control Layers of a Sustainable-Durable Building

Achieving a sustainable building envelope that protects a building’s occupants and integrity requires applying various control layers. When properly designed, integrated, and tested, the five control layers of a building’s exterior will repel rain, wind, snow, ultraviolet (UV) rays, temperature changes, etc., to ensure an efficient, durable, and safe building:

1. A thermal barrier (most effectively achieved with CI) lessens energy loss and stops thermal bridging.
2. An air- and water-resistive barrier reduces energy and condensation loss by minimizing the uncontrolled airflow from the wall system.
3. A water penetration barrier flashed to the cladding’s exterior prevents water from infiltrating the wall cavity.
4. A vapor retarder limits condensation by controlling water vapor flow as it shifts from high to low-pressure spaces.
5. A durable, water-shedding facade protects the exterior wall against pollutants, environmental elements, impacts, UV rays, and more.

Continuous Insulation, Thermal Barrier Control Layer

Evolving consumer demands and energy standards have made installing continuous insulation (CI) in exterior walls a standard practice. Thermally insulating with CI outside the wall eliminates thermal bridging and helps maintain the building wall cavity’s temperature above the dew point, to effectively minimize condensation caused by water vapor diffusion.

In addition, for 30-plus years, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE 90.1) and the International Energy Conservation Code (2021 IECC) have mandated CI, as defined by the ASHRAE 90.1-2010:

• CI covers all structural components without thermal bridges other than fasteners and service openings. Installers must apply CI on the exterior or interior of any opaque building envelope surface.

Sto Products Achieve Continuous Insulation and Aesthetics

Sto Corp’s high-performance architectural coatings and finishes applied to Sto CI wall systems (StoTherm® ci, StoVentec®, and StoPanel®) offer architects and builders distinctive-stunning aesthetics in many colors, sizes, and textures to create sustainable, energy-efficient, and safe buildings.

Sto’s High-Performance Finishes

Sto’s high-performance finishes offer architects complete design freedom with a wide selection of finishes in many color and texture options, including flexible brick and wood resin cast shapes. Sto manufactures durable finishes to the highest quality standards to resist dirt and water, in order to protect a building while also providing attractive curb appeal.

StoCast Flexible Resin Cast Shapes

StoCast flexible resin cast shapes enhance performance functionality.

Specialty Aesthetic Finishes

Specialty finishes offer the look of other materials with the benefit of cost savings and additional performance.

StoSignature

StoSignature finishes offer an endless blend of color, profiles, texture, and effects utilizing Sto products.

Sto iQ Technology

Inspired by nature, Stolit® Lotusan offers superior functionality and durability.

Traditional Finishes

Traditional finishes offer a variety of textured wall finishes that meet the performance needs of the building.

Sto’s Architectural Coatings

Sto’s architectural coatings provide all the features of high-quality paints:

• Superior protection against fading, crack bridging, mold, and mildew
• Self-cleaning properties
• Low VOC
• Vapor permeability

Our coatings come in multiple sheens and textures, or we can tint them in various colors to fit any exterior design requirements.

Sto iQ Technology

Nature-inspired Sto iQ Technology Coatings provide superior functionality and durability and are designed to keep the facade dry, clean, and bright to lessen maintenance.

Specialty Aesthetic

Specialty Aesthetic coatings create unique aesthetics to enhance a building’s design.

Traditional

Traditional coatings preserve a building’s value by serving as a durable, breathable, attractive layer of protection.

Elastomeric

Elastomeric coatings bridge hairline cracks and enhance weather resistance.

StoTherm® Continuous Insulation Cladding Systems

StoTherm® ci cladding systems combine CI, air and water-resistive barriers, drainage, and many textured finishes and coatings to produce sustainable, high-performance wall cladding. The durable and attractive design creates maximum curb appeal and saves money through reduced energy bills.

This Sto project showcases StoSignature Brick 10 and StoSignature Stone 10

StoSignature™ Finishes and StoTherm® ci wall system create an iconic exterior for a new multi-family complex.

StoVentec® Rainscreen®

StoVentec® Rainscreen® systems are a complete, fully-tested, and code-approved, back-ventilated wall system that provides strong mineral wool continuous insulation (CI) and an excellent air and moisture barrier.

StoVentec® Masonry Veneer Facades

The drained, fully-engineered, and back-ventilated StoVentec® Rainscreen® complete wall system features a thin brick facade, CI, sub-construction, and a continuous air and moisture barrier.

Hotel Messerschmitt in Germany utilized StoVentec® Masonry Veneer Facades.

StoVentec® Glass

Back-ventilated and open joint drained StoVentec® Glass combines superior air and weather tightness with exceptional thermal performance and non-combustible continuous exterior insulation and StoVentec® Glass Panel to produce an advanced high-performance wall system.

Zislis Residence: A successful entrepreneur chose the StoVentec® Glass Rainscreen® System in Pastel Blue, Light Blue, and Azure Blue to create an impressive, eye-catching home for his family.

StoVentec® Render

The back-ventilated and drained StoVentec® Render Rainscreen® wall system provides superior air and weather tightness with non-combustible continuous exterior insulation for excellent thermal performance and fire protection.

The StoVentec® Render carrier board combines lightweight and high compressive strength, for seamless walls and curved surfaces.

Sto Panel® Technology

Sto’s prefabricated Sto Panel® Technology finished exterior wall panels will create a high-performing building envelope. The StoPanel® system panels contain cold-formed metal framing and other vital components, including CI, moisture and air barrier, glass mat sheathing, sub-framing, and beautiful facade aesthetics.

Sto Panel® Technology branded, proven, tested, and warranted prefabricated finished wall panel designs offer the building industry a recognizable, high-quality standard for producing and installing commercial building exterior walls.

Inspira Medical Center & Medical Office Building utilized StoPanel® Metal ci, Classic NExT ci, and StoPanel® Brick ci using Stone Veneer to create a multi-textured facade.

Achieve Continuous Insulation and Aesthetics with Sto High-Performing Products

Customers’ demands and evolving building codes for more sustainable and eye-catching-aesthetically pleasing facades prompt the building industry to balance beauty, durability, and efficiency in their construction designs and construction.

Sto Corp’s high-performance finishes and architectural coatings applied to Sto continuous insulation wall systems (StoTherm® ci, StoVentec®, StoPowerwall® ci, and StoPanel®) provide architects and builders with an efficient solution to achieving continuous insulation and beautiful aesthetics to create energy-efficient, sustainable, and healthy buildings.

Contact our helpful Sto professionals today for more on achieving continuous insulation and beautiful aesthetics for your commercial building.

The post The Perfect Combination: How to Achieve Both Aesthetics and Energy Efficiency with Continuous Insulation appeared first on Sto Corp..

Utilizing StoPanel® Classic NExT ci panels for this mixed-use building in Ontario, Canada, allowed builders to cost-effectively hastened the installation of its energy-efficient building envelope.

Rising Construction Market

The Global Buildings Construction Market size in 2022 was $5,412.80 billion. Building experts predict this figure to grow to $11,121.90 billion by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.4 percent for new construction, additions, alterations, maintenance, and repairs.

Many builders may find it difficult to benefit from these unprecedented opportunities due to supply chain problems and labor shortages (both challenge builders to stay on schedule), costing money and frustrating clients. Furthermore, many builders report postponing or canceling projects due to rising labor and material costs.

Labor Shortages Continue in 2023

The continuing lack of unskilled and skilled construction workers makes it challenging for building professionals to stay on schedule and within budget. According to Associated General Contractors of America’s 2023 Construction Outlook National Survey, 80 percent of building professionals report difficulty filling salaried and hourly craft positions, with 58 percent predicting this will continue or worsen over the next 12 months. To attract workers, 72 percent of building professionals reported increasing base pay rates between 2021 and 2022.

Supply Chain Woes in 2023

Volatile prices and availability of construction materials due to supply chain issues create long lead times, which makes it challenging to estimate project costs accurately.

Notably, building professionals’ most significant concerns for 2023 include the following:

• Project delays due to supply chain issues (63 percent)
• Material costs (73 percent)

As a result, many builders are turning to alternative suppliers, materials, products, and solutions, like Sto Panel® Technology.

Hasten Building Envelope Installation Time with Sto Panel® Technology

Easy and efficient to install, fully-engineered, tested, and code-compliant Sto Panel® Technology prefabricated finished exterior wall panels offer the building industry benefits that can reduce high-performing building envelope installation time without sacrificing quality.

The StoPanel® system contains cold-formed metal framing and other valuable features, including continuous insulation, air and water-resistive barrier, glass mat sheathing, sub-framing, and various aesthetic surface options, including precast resin shapes, metal, brick, natural stone, and the modern, energy-efficient lightweight textured finishes and coating systems.

Panel Wall Construction Improves Quality Control of Building Envelopes

Prefabricated construction boards are manufactured in a climate-controlled, indoor environment with precise machine equipment and an experienced crew to ensure uniform quality between the structure’s sub-assemblies and building code compliance. Traditional site-built structures require coordination of independent contractors’ skill levels and schedules, which can affect the overall quality of the finished product.

Furthermore, fabricators can work out any problems in the factory setting before the product reaches the job site.

How StoPanel® Systems Accelerate Building Envelope Installation

Sto Panel® Technology can accelerate building enclosure schedules by up to 80 percent, by lessening overall building costs and allowing builders to realize profits sooner. However, the success of a project depends significantly on early planning and good communication between the general contractor, architect, and panel manufacturer.

Prefab construction reduces building envelope installation time over traditional methods by providing several significant benefits:

• Efficient upfront planning
• Limiting delays due to on-site weather factors
• Reducing subcontractor scheduling
• Allowing for the manufacturing of panels while builders complete the initial site work and structural framing of the building
• Improves workers’ safety and reduces the risk of worker injury that can lead to construction delays.
• Prefabricated wall panels come to the job site pre-assembled to drop into place with a crane, which eliminates scaffolding hazards and other on-site building methods for a multi-floor wall.
• Building off-site walls will lessen workers’ exposure to dangerous rain, wind, lightning, and changing ground conditions.
• Factory-controlled environments utilize dry materials, which reduces the risk of problems associated with moisture, dirt, and environmental hazards in order to help protect workers on the building site.

Prefab construction offers several other cost-saving advantages:

• Significantly lessens the number of skilled labor installers needed on the job site, which benefits contractors as they struggle with ongoing skilled labor shortages.
• Lowers security costs by lessening the risk of vandalism and theft on the project site.
• Reduces raw material waste at the job site by nearly 50 percent compared to conventional construction, saving money.

Kapture Prefab combined StoPanel® Classic NExT ci with StoPanel® Dri-Design® panels for the Hilton Canopy Hotel in Tempe, Arizona, to cut the building schedule by three months compared to conventional construction methods.

For this college dormitory, Jersey Panel replaced the metal panels with StoPanel® Classic ci panels. Prefabricating the panels off-site allowed for the building enclosure to be completed sooner, cutting months off the on-site construction time and guaranteeing a completion date ahead of the arriving students.

Reducing Building Envelope Installation Time Without Sacrificing Quality with Sto Panel® Technology

To benefit from the current-rising construction market, building companies must reduce building envelope installation time by rethinking their construction practices towards cost-effective building products and less labor-intensive building envelope solutions, without sacrificing quality, like that provided by Sto Panel® Technology.

Sto Panel® Technology is a superior option for efficient, sustainable, and safe commercial construction of a building envelope. Precisely manufactured in-house and delivered directly to the job site hastens the construction schedule with less labor and waste, to save both money and time. Prefab also enhances quality control and improves job site safety.

Get in touch with StoPanel® professionals today for more tips on reducing building envelope installation time without sacrificing quality or learn more about panelization by downloading The Acceleration of Panelization.

The post How to Reduce Building Envelope Installation Time Without Sacrificing Quality appeared first on Sto Corp..

Modular facade panels for buildings also offer a sustainable and long-lasting complete building envelope system in an expansive range of aesthetic choices to fit any design requirements of hospitals, office buildings, universities, houses, and more.

Inspira Medical Center, Vineland, NJ, Jersey, USA

Panel Type: StoPanel®: StoPanel® Metal ci, Classic NExT ci, StoPanel® Brick ci using Stone Veneer
General Contractor: Skanska
Architect: Array Architects
Prime Building Envelope Contractor: Jersey Panel

Jersey Panel, Array Architects, and Inspira Health Network worked together through all phases of the building project to address the aesthetic and construction challenges in the vertical expansion (two floors) of the Inspira Medical Center.

The building team chose prefabricated, energy-efficient, lightweight, and durable Sto Panel Technology® prefabricated wall panels. Jersey Panel engineered, fabricated, shipped, and installed 121,000 ft2 of modular facade panels in the expansion of the Inspira Medical Center. They combined flat and radiused panels, a microtextured self-cleaning finish, and a thin stone veneer to produce its dynamic appearance.

Six Benefits of Utilizing Modular Facade Panels

Modular panels offer building owners, architects, and contractors with significant advantages that improve aesthetics, risk management, save time and money, and enhance sustainability and indoor environmental quality.

1. Aesthetic Versatility

An aesthetically pleasing, well-designed building helps attract customers and clients. It can also improve the structure’s resale value. Modular facade panels provide several significant aesthetic benefits:

• Offers aesthetic flexibility, from modern, lightweight finish systems to classic metal, brick, wood and stone
• Allows architects to match the aesthetics and architecture of nearby buildings

2. Improves Risk Management

Modular panels improve construction risk management by:

• Lessening financial risk by streamlining the installation and design process
• Limiting workers’ occupational risk of injury
• Expediting the building process and avoiding the contractual risks of not completing the job on time

3. Hastens Building Timelines

Modular facade panels provide architects, builders, and developers with a solution to easily meet construction timelines:

• Manufacturers construct prefabricated panels in a controlled environment, which eliminates job site conditions or weather that can delay construction schedules
• Prefabrication allows contractors to complete a vertical expansion quickly
• Panels are manufactured in temperature-controlled factories allowing for a higher level of quality control
• Finished wall panels take days or weeks to install, not months, like traditional construction

4. Stay on Budget with Modular Facade Panels

Building projects represent a significant part of an institution or commercial business’s expenses, with costs running into the millions. Therefore, their financial stability and success significantly depend on building projects staying on budget:

• Panels install safely with a small crew using one central tower crane, for tight project sites with limited area for scaffolding.
• Builders save money because the lightweight panels lessen job site labor, require less specialized trades, minimize scaffolding use, and allow for fewer structural needs.
• Panels limit building waste and debris which saves money on materials.
• Panels typically provide a single-source warranty to give building owners added protection.

5. Contributes to Sustainable Construction

Sustainable construction strives to reduce water and energy consumption, limit carbon emissions, and create durable hospitals, schools, banks, homes, etc. – which saves time and money in repairing or rebuilding. A contractor can quickly retrofit an existing building with modular facade panels as an economical, aesthetic-pleasing, and energy-saving sustainable alternative to new construction.

Building owners, builders, and architects can obtain more guidance on sustainable practices from the Environmental Design (LEED) rating system for sustainability and the USGBC’s (U.S. Green Building Council ) Leadership in Energy.

6. Enhances Indoor Environmental Quality

Fully-engineered and tested modular facade panel systems can help promote superior indoor environmental quality by preventing condensation in the wall assembly and the growth of structurally damaging and unhealthy mildew and mold. In addition, a 2014 study by Harvard found that good IEQ qualities (comfort, air quality, and acoustics) can significantly increase the occupant’s cognitive function test scores.

B-Line Condominiums in Toronto, Canada

Sto Products: StoPanel Classic NExT ci featuring StoCast Wood, StoCast Brick, StoSignature® Stone, and StoColor® Acryl Plus
General Contractor: Skyrise Prefab Building Solutions
Architect: John Romanov | Romanov and Romanov Architects

Architects choose Sto Products to build this attractive B-Line condominium development. Sto Panel Technology offered a solution to building in a tight job and meeting the developer’s demands for continuous insulation, complex design, and multiple finishes.

StoPanel® Solutions for Modern Modular Construction

Lightweight, energy-efficient, durable, cost-effective StoPanel® Technology prefabricated wall panels require a fraction of the field crew for an installation compared to field-built construction methods. In addition, the air and water-tight panels come in expansive options of finishes to fit the aesthetic needs of any building project.

WMU Arcadia Flats Student Housing, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

Panel Type:                                                 StoPanel® Metal ci and Sto Backup Panels
Owner:                                                        Western Michigan University
General Contractor:                                   Triangle Associates
Architect:                                                     Stantec Architecture
Installer:                                                      Centerline Prefab

Centerline Prefab worked with the project’s architect, engineer, and architect to develop panel details that met the university’s design needs for the exterior building enclosure. The building team then utilized a BIM to ensure the panels fit properly in their installed locations.

Contact our helpful Sto professionals today for more on the benefits of using modular face panels.

The post Understanding Modular Facade Panels appeared first on Sto Corp..

Quick and simple-to-install Sto Panel® Technology Prefabricated Wall Panels improve construction risk management by:

• Reducing workers’ occupational risk of injury
• Reducing financial risk by streamlining the installation and design process
• Expediting the construction process, and avoiding contractual risks due to not completing the job on time

Labor Shortages Impact Job Site Safety

In 2022, many contractors have reported intense difficulties in finding skilled workers, which has driven them to hire less cautious young or inexperienced employees, who are less likely to follow safety protocols – a critical problem for risk management.

OSHA reports that workers 25 years old and younger sustain injuries two times more than experienced workers. Furthermore, during workers’ first year on the job, 34.9 percent experience injuries.

To ensure a successful building project, contractors must eliminate their employees’ risk of injury as much as possible. Training and mandating job site safety measures and implementing safer building methods, like prefab construction, will protect your employees and keep your project within budget and on time.

Minimizing Construction Risks with Prefab

Prefab construction minimizes construction risks and saves money by simplifying the building process since it requires less labor and quickens the timeline. Prefab provides many other benefits: aesthetic flexibility, sustainability, and superior indoor environmental quality.

Quick and Simple Prefab Construction Minimizes Risks

Prefabrication provides a solution to faster construction timelines, with less labor – to limit construction risks:

• They are built in a controlled environment to eliminate weather-related issues that could affect construction schedules.
• Manufacturing in quality-controlled factories allows for inspection and testing of the building envelope before installation.
• Finished prefab panels take days or several weeks to install, not months, like conventional construction methods.
• Prefabrication allows contractors to complete the vertical expansion of a tall building quickly.
• Contractors save money with prefab panels because the lightweight panels reduce labor, require less specialized trades, allow for fewer structural needs, and minimize scaffolding use.
• Prefab construction can be installed safely with a small crew using one central tower crane for extremely tight project sites with limited laydown space for scaffolding.
• Prefab wall panels typically provide a single-source warranty.

Aesthetic Versatility of Prefabricated Wall Panels

A well-designed, aesthetically pleasing building will help attract customers, clients, and visitors. Prefabrication offers architects and designers several significant aesthetic advantages:

• Aesthetic flexibility from a modern, energy-efficient, and lightweight coating system compared to classic brick, stone, and metal
• Design flexibility allows architects to match the aesthetics of the surrounding structures

Prefabrication Contributes to Sustainable Construction

• Aims to lessen energy and water consumption, limit carbon emissions, and create long-lasting buildings – saving time and money repairing or rebuilding
• Durable, and energy-efficient for a sustainable structure
• Can quickly retrofit an existing building with prefab wall panels as an economical, aesthetic, and energy-saving alternative to new construction
• Minimizes building waste and debris to save money on materials

Prefabricated Panels Enhance Indoor Environmental Quality

StoPanel prefab panels help promote superior indoor environmental quality by preventing condensation within the wall assembly which can result in the growth of unhealthy mold.

Reduce Construction Risks with StoPanel® Technology

Builders can minimize construction risks by using StoPanel® Technology prefabricated wall panels. Lightweight, energy-efficient, durable, cost-effective StoPanel® requires only a fraction of the labor for an installation compared to traditional field-built construction methods. In addition, the air and water-tight panels come in an extensive selection of finishes or cladding to fit the aesthetic needs of any building.

The Bradley
Ft. Wayne, Indiana USA

System Type: Aesthetics, Prefabricated Wall Panels
Systems & Products: StoPanel® Classic ci, StoSignature™ Stone
Construction Type: New
Building Type: Hospitality

Like all the StoPanel® Technology Systems prefabricated exterior wall panels, energy-efficient, lightweight, and durable StoPanel® Classic NExT ci has continuous insulation, a StoGuard® air and water-resistive barrier, and the patented Sto Wedge for drainage. It also has a wide range of aesthetic options.

In addition, it thermally insulates the wall building’s exterior with continuous insulation that complies with current codes and standards (ASHRAE 90.1-2019 and IRC, IBC, and IECC – 2018 and 2021).

Building with StoPanel® Classic NExT ci prefabricated panels provides several significant advantages:

• Boosts job site safety
• Helps to stay on budget
• Reduces change orders
• ݈Lessens delivery time and labor needs
• Enhances quality control and assurance
• Minimizes construction waste

Hilton Home 2 Suites
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

System Type: Prefabricated Wall Panels
Systems & Products: StoPanel® Classic ci
Construction Type: New
Building Type: Hospitality

Why You Should Choose StoPanel® Prefabricated Wall Panels to Minimize Construction Risk

Quick and simple to install StoPanel® Technology prefabricated wall panels help builders stay on time and budget while also minimizing job site risk and meeting safety and code requirements.

Sustainable StoPanel® prefabricated wall panels create long-lasting, complete building envelope systems that save money on energy and maintenance.

StoPanel® prefabricated wall panels come in a wide range of aesthetic choices to fit any building’s appearance.

Contact our helpful Sto professionals today for more on minimizing construction risks with StoPanel® Technology prefabricated wall panels.

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A Brief History of Student Housing

Before the 1900s, most college campuses did not offer student housing. It wasn’t until the 1950s and early 1960s that campuses received enough public funding to build dorms to accommodate a rapidly increasing population of college students. Typically, college dorms gave little thought to the student’s comfort, accommodating two or three students to a bedroom, and communal bathrooms and showers shared by 20 or 30 students.

In the 1980s, the competition for students intensified, prompting college administrators to improve student housing conditions. Today, the evolution of university housing design demands features that protect the students, buildings, and environment and also manage short- and long-term costs.

Increasing Demand for Student Housing

The increasing need for student housing provides the building industry with a tremendous business opportunity. A recent National Multifamily Housing Council report predicts that the student housing market will grow from 8.5 million beds in 2020 to 9.2 million by 2031 (an increase of 734,000 beds), or an average annual increase of 0.8 percent annually. In addition to adding more student housing space, universities today must also replace many outdated, unsalvageable dormitories with new resident halls.

Colleges’ or universities’ growing need for housing demands quick timelines. The projects must also stay on budget and minimize disruptions to students, staff, and visitors. Best student housing design and construction practices must also enhance sustainability, improve indoor environmental quality (IEQ), control short- and long-term costs, and offer aesthetic flexibility.

Five Benefits of Utilizing Prefab in Constructing Student Housing

The benefits of prefab construction accommodate the demands of today’s student housing: quick construction that stays within budget, sustainability, superior indoor environmental quality, and aesthetic flexibility.

1. Quickens Building Timelines

Prefabrication provides builders, architects, and university administrators with a solution to faster student housing construction timelines:

• Producing panels in quality-controlled factories allows for inspection and testing of the building envelope before panel installation.
• Manufacturers build prefabricated panels in a controlled environment, which eliminates weather or other job site conditions that can delay construction schedules.
• Finished wall panels take days or several weeks to install, not months, like conventional construction.
• Prefabrication allows contractors to quickly complete a vertical expansion of a dormitory.

2. Stay on Budget with Student Housing Projects

Construction projects represent a significant part of a university’s or college’s budget, with costs running into the millions. Therefore, educational institutions’ financial stability and success depend on building projects staying on budget:

• Contractors save money with prefabricated panels because the lightweight panels reduce job site labor, require less specialized trades, allow for fewer structural needs, and minimize the use of scaffolding.
• Prefabrication installs safely with a small crew using one central tower crane, for extremely tight project sites with limited laydown area for scaffolding.
• Prefabrication minimizes building waste and debris to save money on materials.
• Prefab wall panels typically provide a single-source warranty, to give universities and colleges added protection.

3. Contributes to Sustainable Student Housing

Sustainable student housing strives to lessen water and energy consumption, limit carbon emissions, and create long-lasting buildings – which saves money and time repairing or rebuilding. Energy-efficient, durable, prefabricated wall panels can significantly contribute to a sustainable student housing unit. In addition, builders can quickly retrofit an existing building with prefabricated wall panels as an economical, aesthetic, and energy-saving sustainable alternative to new construction.

Campus leaders, architects, and builders can obtain more guidance on sustainable practices from the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC’s) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system for sustainability.

4. Improves Indoor Environmental Quality

Fully engineered and tested prefabricated panels systems can help promote excellent indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in student housing by preventing condensation in the wall system and the growth of unhealthy and structurally damaging mildew and mold. A 2014 study by Harvard found that good IEQ qualities (air quality, overall comfort, and acoustics) can double the occupant’s cognitive function test scores.

5. Aesthetic Versatility

A well-designed, aesthetically pleasing dormitory helps attract students. It can also reduce stress and improve a student’s sense of well-being.

Prefabrication offers designers and architects with several significant aesthetic benefits:

• Prefabrication offers aesthetic flexibility, from a modern, lightweight, energy-efficient coating system to classic brick, stone, and metal.
• Prefabrication design flexibility allows architects to match the aesthetics of the campus.

StoPanel® Solutions for Student Housing

StoPanel® Technology prefabricated wall panels are the solution to many challenges to student housing construction: tight job site areas, heavy pedestrian traffic, and quick project schedules to meet student move-in dates. Lightweight, energy-efficient, durable, cost-effective prefabricated insulated wall panels require only a fraction of field personnel for a typical installation compared to field-built construction techniques. In addition, the water and air-tight panels come in a wide choice of finishes or cladding to fit the aesthetic needs of any college campus.

Kean University Union, New Jersey, USA

Owner: Kean University
General Contractor: Claremont Construction Group
Architect: Netta Architects
Building Type: New Student Housing
Construction Method: Prefabrication
Installer: Jersey Panel
Onsite Assembly Date: December 2017
Systems & Products: StoPanel® Brick ci and StoPanel® Classic ci with Stolit® Milano finish

Sto Panel Technology (link to ) affiliate Jersey Panel, met the challenges and demands of Kean University. Jersey panel quickly constructed the new dormitory with a complex design and on a limited budget by engineering, fabricating, and installing 65,000 ft2 of StoPanel® Brick ci and StoPanel® Classic ci with Stolit® Milano finish.

Design Challenge: The building’s design included multiple textures with costly metal panels. Smart Solution: Jersey Panel saved Kean University $800,000 by replacing the real metal panels with StoPanel® Classic ci panels featuring a Stolit® Milano metal panel finish

Deadline Challenge: The contract required completion of the project before the student move-in date; not meeting the deadline would lead to significant financial penalties and a lack of housing for the students. Prefabricating the panels off-site allowed Claremont Construction Group to install the panels in about five weeks, cutting months off of the on-site construction time.

Hub on Campus – West Lafayette, Indiana

Building Type: Student Housing, Apartments
System Type: Aesthetics, Prefabricated Wall Panels
Systems & Products: Stolit 1.5, StoPanel Classic ci, StoSignature Brick
Construction Type: New Prefabrication
Owner: Core Spaces
General Contractor: Shiel Sexton Company
Architect: Antunovich Associates
Fabricators and Installers: Grayhawk, LLC and Great Lakes Prefab

Great Lakes Prefab and Grayhawk, LLC designed, fabricated, and quickly installed 430 StoPanel® Classic ci panels to create the Hub on Campus. In addition, Sto met the aesthetic requirements with StoSignature® Brick and Stolit® 1.5 to replicate a corrugated metal appearance.

The building team faced several project challenges due primarily to time, space, and the number of wall penetrations walls.

• Time: the project’s completion time had to accommodate arriving students.
• Space: A tight jobsite space due to active city streets on two sides, limited laydown area, and little room for scaffolding. Fortunately, prefabricated StoPanels were safely installed with just a small crew using one central tower crane.
• Wall Penetrations: The multiple penetrations within each apartment required waterproofing. Sto waterproofed all the penetrations at the fabrication plant, ensuring the highest quality building envelope.

The Penthouses at Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey, USA

Building Type: Multi-Family
System Type: Aesthetics, Prefabricated Wall Panels
Systems & Products: StoPanel® Backup, StoPanel® Brick ci, StoPanel® Classic ci
Construction Type: New
Construction Method: Prefabrication

WMU Arcadia Flats Student Housing, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

Building Type: Six Story Student Housing/ Apartments
Construction Method: New, Prefabricated Wall Panels
Owner: Western Michigan University
General Contractor: Triangle Associates
Architect: Stantec Architecture
Installer: Centerline Prefab
On-Site Assembly Date: September 2019
Panel Type: StoPanel® Metal ci and StoPanel® Backups

Centerline Prefab worked with the project’s engineer and architect to develop panel details that met the university’s design intent for the exterior building enclosure. The building team then used a BIM to ensure the panels fit properly in their installed locations.

Time Challenge: The contract required completion of the exterior building envelope before winter, to allow builders to complete the interior work during the region’s cold temperatures and heavy snowfall.

Centerline Prefab engineered, fabricated, and installed 206 prefabricated wall panels to help meet this challenge. Centerline Prefab installed 48’ StoPanel® Metal ci panels on the upper four floors and StoPanel® Backup panels on the bottom two floors, averaging 37 minutes to install per panel, a fraction of the time needed for traditional construction methods.

Space Challenge: Buildings surrounded the new resident hall site on three sides, which created a small laydown area. Fortunately, this was not a problem for installing the prefabricated wall panels that only required a crawling hydraulic crane and a small staging area.

Why You Should Choose Sto Prefabricated Wall Panels for Constructing Student Housing

StoPanel® Technology prefabricated wall panels provide builders and architects with many benefits for student housing construction. Builders can quickly install prefabricated wall panels, even in tight spaces, to ensure that projects stay on time and within budget while meeting code and safety requirements. Prefabrication is a sustainable and long-lasting complete building envelope system that saves universities money on energy and maintenance. Furthermore, StoPanel® prefabricated wall panels come in an extensive range of aesthetic choices to fit any campus’s appearance.

Contact our helpful Sto professionals today for more on the benefits of using prefab in constructing student housing!

The post 5 Benefits of Utilizing Prefab in Constructing Student Housing appeared first on Sto Corp..

10 Essential Steps for Commercial Building Renovation

A successful commercial building refurbishment or a commercial building retrofit
depends tremendously on proper pre-construction planning and a qualified building team. For a successful outcome, follow these ten vital steps for accomplishing the goals of your commercial remodeling project.

Step 1. Determine the Motive for Your Commercial Building Remodel

Commercial building renovation can involve everything from a simple facelift to significant structural changes that upgrade to LEED certification or compliance with the Americans with Disability Act of 1990. Establishing clear motives for your renovation will help you prioritize and focus the budget on essential parts of the project.

Step 2. Verify The Certificate of Occupancy and Permits

Ensure you can use the property for its intended use after the remodel. The Certificate of Occupancy indicates the legal use of your commercial property as an office, a cafe, or other commercial space. It is difficult and costly to change a Certificate of Occupancy.

Before beginning your renovation, check with your local authorities about permit requirements and their renovation work specifications. Obtaining permission before starting the remodel will help you avoid hassles with governing bodies and citations.

Step 3. Assess the Property for Future Use

Before finalizing your decision to remodel your commercial building, assess the existing conditions of the building space and prepare a pre-construction list which you can discuss with your contractor:

• Look for water leaks and electrical faults.
• Conduct an energy assessment to determine the need to upgrade.
• Make sure your foundation or basement can handle the building load after remodeling.

Step 4. Conduct an Energy-Code Analysis

Early in the design process, an energy code analysis will help implement the building energy code effectively. In addition, architects and engineers can utilize tools like energy models, building information modeling (BIM), and COMcheck in the early design phases to incorporate energy-saving strategies and lessen costs when making adjustments. These tools can also help owners better understand the impact of energy-conscious design’s potential savings.

Step 5. Choose the Right Contractor for the Commercial Building Renovation

Whether you are planning a major commercial building refurbishment or a simple commercial building retrofit, you should hire a qualified and efficient construction company that can handle the exterior and interior renovation. The success of the project depends on a productive business relationship between you and the commercial contractors.

Qualities of a good contractor include:

• Excellent communication skills
• Highly organized to handle the multi-level endeavors and complex timelines of commercial renovation and remodeling projects
• Pays close attention to detail and ensures quality at all project steps
• Provides an exceptional customer service plan that ensures you can easily reach the contractor, that they will respond quickly, and that they will provide courteous and accurate answers to all questions
• Provides excellent client testimonials
• Licensed and certified for commercial construction
• Offers a detailed and comprehensive fair bid

Step 6. Establish an Accurate Budget

An accurate-detailed budget will help ensure the capital you expend doesn’t exceed the expected increase in value and revenue, so the project achieves an acceptable return on investment. However, unforeseen issues and hidden costs can burst your renovation budget and potentially derail the entire project. Therefore, building experts advise adding 15 percent to your budget to cover the unplanned extra costs.

Commercial renovation cost depends on identifying your renovation’s specific cost factors, for instance:

• Scope of Project
• Building Quality
• Permitting
• Pre-Construction Repairs
• Location
• Building Codes
• Choice of Renovation Contractor or Architect
• Building Use
• Building Materials and Labor

Step 7. Begin Procurement of Materials ASAP

Construction materials play a vital role in a project’s success and sustainability. Unfortunately, building material shortages brought about by the global pandemic have significantly impacted construction supply chains, interrupting cash flow and affecting costs, timing, and budgets. Engaging with building product manufacturers early in the design process can help mitigate these challenges. Materials suppliers can offer expertise on the most efficient and cost effective ways to achieve your desired outcomes, often providing multiple options that can help keep your project on schedule and on budget.

In addition, choose quality materials. It will save you money long-term by limiting repairs and maintenance.

Step 8. Determine the Best Time for Your Commercial Building Renovation and Establish a Schedule

Commercial building remodels can disrupt your business and other organizations operating from the building. Therefore, renovate during the least disruptive time of year to the building’s occupants.

In addition, establishing a rough timeline for your project’s milestone completion points and lead times will help with decisions during the building project.

Step 9. Keep the Project Team Well Informed

Communication between the project team, including the contractor, architects, material suppliers, owners, engineers, etc., will limit misunderstandings that can lead to time-consuming and expensive reworks and delay for your project;

In addition, to clarify deliverables, establish clear roles and responsibilities for the project team members.

Step 10. Incorporate Sustainability

Sustainable commercial buildings reduce the structure’s carbon footprint and promote the building’s energy efficiency, durability, comfort, and safety. In addition, the financial benefits of green-sustainable design make it increasingly desirable to commercial building owners:

• Green design can lower your operating costs by 20 percent less per ft2 than non-green design.
• Green buildings can sell for 16 percent more than conventional buildings.
• Sustainability lessens employee sick days and improves their productivity.
• Green-sustainable commercial building design increases recruitment, retention, and rental rates.
• LEED certification offers buildings with an average 3 percent increase in rent for each increase in certification level.
• LEED buildings have a 4.1 percent greater occupancy rate than non certified.
• Sustainable design improves durability and lessens maintenance costs by promoting fire-, wind-, moisture-, and termite resistance, saving money through reduced repair, maintenance, and replacement.

One Bala Plaza Renovation Improves Sustainability with StoPanel® Technology

Owner: Tishman Speyer
General Contractor: DJ Keating
Architect: McGillin Architecture Inc.
Building Type: Office Building
Installer: Jersey Panel
Onsite Assembly Date: October 2019
Panel Type: StoPanel® Classic NExT ci

Constructed in 1965, One Bala Plaza was a poorly-insulated, aging office building in desperate need of updating for occupants’ comfort and energy efficiency. The project posed several challenges. Fortunately, Jersey Panel, a partner in Sto Corp.’s Sto Panel Technology program, had a solution to all the challenges.

While the lower floors could get by with new thermal windows and some patching, the severe disrepair of floors three through six required a complete overhaul.

Jersey Panel installed 40,000 ft2 of StoPanel® Classic NExT ci, giving the upper floors a new facade right over the existing building. Sto constructs StoPanel® Classic NExT ci panels with metal studs, continuous insulation, and StoGuard® waterproof air barrier resulting in a more sustainable, energy-efficient building with year-round comfort for the One Bala tenants. They could not use standard panel sizes and shapes due to irregularities in the existing precast concrete surface and the building’s curved contours.

Jersey Panel referred to the original building’s drawings to create fully customized panels, curved to account for the building’s contours.

The fully occupied building demanded a quick renovation with minimal disruptions.

Jersey Panel avoided disturbing tenants by limiting installation work to the third shift and Saturdays. They completed the installation in three months by fabricating the panels at Jersey Panel’s offsite location.

For more on the essential steps for commercial building renovation, download the full One Bala Plaza Renovation case study here or don’t hesitate to call a Sto Panel Technology specialist today at (800) 221-2397.

The post Don’t Skip These Ten Essential Steps for Commercial Building Remodeling appeared first on Sto Corp..

Prefabrication Hastens the Construction Timeline

A community’s growing need for medical care and minimizing disruptions to healthcare professionals, patients, and visitors during construction often demands quick timelines for healthcare construction projects.

Fortunately, prefabrication is a solution to faster construction timelines than conventional construction:

• Prefabricated panels are manufactured in a controlled manufacturing environment, eliminating weather or other field conditions that can cause delays to construction schedules.
• Producing panels in quality-controlled factories allow for inspection, testing, and checking of the building envelope before panel installation on the project.
• Prefabrication allows builders to quickly complete a vertical expansion of a healthcare building.
• Completed wall panels take days or weeks to install, not months, like traditional construction.

Prefabrication Helps Healthcare Projects Stay on Budget

Construction projects represent a significant part of a health care organization’s budget, with costs running from thousands to millions. Therefore, for the financial stability and success of the healthcare facility, the building project must stay on budget.

• Builders can save money with prefabricated panels because the lightweight panels lessen job site labor, require fewer specialized trades, minimize the use of scaffolding, and allow for fewer structural needs.
• Prefabrication minimizes construction waste and debris to save money.
• Prefab wall panels often offer a single-source warranty, giving owners added protection and peace of mind.

Sustainable, Prefabricated Wall Panels

A sustainable health care facility aims to reduce energy and water consumption, limit carbon emissions, and create long-lasting buildings – all features that save money and time spent repairing or rebuilding. Energy-efficient, durable, prefabricated wall panels can significantly contribute to a sustainable healthcare facility. In addition, builders can quickly retrofit an existing building with prefabricated wall panels as an aesthetic, economical, and energy-saving sustainable alternative to new construction.

Aesthetic Flexibility of Prefabricated Wall Panels

A well-designed, aesthetically pleasing healthcare facility helps attract and maintain patients and enhance a patient’s experience satisfaction. It can also reduce stress, improve a patient’s sense of well-being, and even boost their immune system.

Prefabrication offers architects several significant aesthetic advantages:

• Prefabrication offers aesthetic flexibility, from a modern, lightweight, energy-efficient coating system to classic brick, stone, and metal.
• Prefabrication design flexibility allows architects to match the aesthetics of the original building.

Inspira Medical Center, Vineland, NJ, Jersey

Owner: Inspira Health Network
General Contractor: Skanska
Architect: Array Architects
Prime Building Envelope Contractor: Jersey Panel
Building Type: Healthcare
On-Site Assembly Date: October 2019
Panel Type: StoPanel® Classic NExT ci, StoPanel® Metal ci, StoPanel® Brick ci using Stone Veneer

Jersey Panel, Array Architects, and Inspira Health Network utilized the integrated project delivery (IPD) design and construction approach to address the construction and aesthetic challenges in the vertical expansion (two floors) of the Inspira Medical Center. An IPD project delivery approach involves all the building team members collaborating through all design, fabrication, and construction phases to optimize the project’s results.

The team chose prefabricated lightweight, energy-efficient, and durable Sto Panel Technology® prefabricated wall panels. Jersey Panel engineered, fabricated, shipped, and installed 121,000 ft2 of prefabricated wall panels in the construction of the Inspira Medical Center. They combined flat and radiused panels, a microtextured self-cleaning finish, and a thin stone veneer to create a dynamic appearance.

The StoPanel® system panels consist of cold-formed metal framing and other applicable components, including continuous insulation (ci), glass mat sheathing, air and water-resistive barrier, sub-framing, and facade aesthetic. Sto prefabricated wall panels offered the building team many advantages:

• By fabricating multiple claddings off-site, prefab panels significantly reduced on-site labor costs while exceeding the installation schedule, contributing to completing the project on time and within budget.
• The close proximity of the Jersey Panel’s facility allowed them to fabricate and transport extra-large panels (35′ W x 16.5′ H) to the job site, further hastening the completion time and helping to control costs.
• Only a crane and a crew of approximately six workers were required to erect the entire exterior facade in less than two weeks – a significant advantage in today’s tight labor market.
• Minimized disruptions to the healthcare professionals, patients, and visitors,
• Prefabrication reduced the amount of waste and debris from traditional field-built projects.
• StoPanel® system panels allowed architects to match the new construction with the aesthetics of the existing one-story building and the main nearby hospital building.
• It met the client’s aesthetic requirements of various textures and materials, like corrugated metal, stone, limestone, and wood-grain metal.
• The addition also called for a new element to the building’s aesthetics, metal panels. Architects choose StoPanel® Metal ci for this feature.

Download the full Inspira Medical Center case study here.

StoPanel® Brick

StoPanel® Brick prefabricated wall panels include steel framing, gypsum sheathing, thin masonry veneers, or thin brick.

StoPanel® Metal

StoPanel® Metal prefabricated wall panels include steel framing, gypsum sheathing, and metal facade

UCF Lake Nona Medical Center, Orlando, Florida

Owner: UCF / HCA
General Contractor: Layton Construction
Architect: ESa
Wall Panel Engineer: FDR
Prime Building Envelope Contractor: Wal-Mark Contracting Group
Building Type: Healthcare / Hospital
On-Site Assembly: Date 2019
Panel Type: StoPanel® Classic NExT ci / StoPanel® Impact ci panels

The threat of hurricanes and tropical storms constantly looms over Central Florida. Therefore, the design of the UCF Lake Nona Medical Center’s building envelope, including the exterior facade, had to meet stringent wind-load and impact requirements.
Architects also had to ensure that the project stayed on schedule and budget. Other challenges to the project included installing curtain walls and glazed openings alongside the erected exterior wall panels and limited site access to an extensive number of underground utilities.

Fortunately, StoPanel® Impact ci and StoPanel® Classic NExT ci panels offered a solution to all these challenges.

• Both products meet Florida’s stringent wind load and impact-rated mandates.
• The repeatability and precision of the panels allowed the glazing contractor to pre-order their materials to accommodate the dry-in schedule.
• The StoPanel prefabrication process allowed Wal-Mark Contracting to manufacture and install the panels within an aggressive timeline and with fewer workers. It only took eight panel installation experts to install 136 panels in only eleven days, avoiding underground utilities and exceeding schedule expectations on this challenging project. A traditional field installation would require 30-40 workers, costing more and potentially leading to more job site accidents.

StoPanel® Classic NExT ci

• StoPanel® Classic NExT ci prefabricated wall panel includes steel framing, gypsum sheathing, and StoTherm® ci facade.

StoPanel® Impact ci®

• StoPanel® Impact ci® prefabricated wall panels include steel framing, gypsum sheathing, and StoTherm ci system, designed for small and large missile impact performance.

Download the full UCF Lake Nona Medical Center case study here.

Why Choose Sto Panel Technology for Your Next Healthcare Project?

Sto Panel Technology offers architects and builders of healthcare projects extensive design flexibility while meeting their scheduling, performance, and budget demands.

Our prefabricated wall panels contribute to sustainable, durable, and low-maintenance healthcare buildings, all features that will save money and time.

Download Industry Shift: The Acceleration of Panelization or contact one of our experts today at 800-545-6087.

The post Prefabricated Panels for Healthcare Projects Offer a Superior Solution appeared first on Sto Corp..

What are Resin Cast Brick and Wood Shapes?

Resin cast shapes provide designers, architects, contractors, and building owners with several benefits: aesthetic versatility, quick and easy installation, durability, sustainability, and code compliance.

Aesthetic Versatility: resin cast shapes give architects and builders extensive aesthetic flexibility.

• The aesthetic flexibility of resin cast shapes enhance curb appeal by allowing building design with curved wood and bricks.
• Resin cast wood shapes come in more than 45 distinct wood grain patterns with depth and texture, reducing the occurence of duplication patterns that are common with other wood look cladding products like finer cement.
• Resin cast bricks can create a unique look and also match the color and texture of traditional brick, which is vital for historical restoration or remediation.

Installation Benefits: resin cast brick and wood offers several benefits to builders that reduce reliance on skilled labor and hasten the installation timeline.

• Resin cast shapes work well with quick-to-install prefabricated construction.
• Builders can install resin cast brick and wood shapes on interior and exterior walls, soffits and any of Sto’s engineered cladding systems, as well as concrete masonry, concrete, and stucco walls.
• Resin cast shapes improve job site efficiency since they only require one trade to install multiple cladding solutions over the same building envelope to avoid material compatibility issues and transitions.
• Lightweight resin cast brick shapes are easy to handle and carry.
• Simple to apply, resin shapes attach with adhesive and do not require anchors and fasteners.
• Workers can easily cut the resin shapes to size with shears.
• Silica-free, resin cast shapes provide a safer job site environment.

Durability: Long-lasting resin cast will last the lifetime of the structure.

• Long-lasting resin cast brick and wood requires little maintenance and repairs easily.
• They resist efflorescence and do not crack, warp, or chip.
• In addition, you can enhance the resin shapes’ durability with various coatings that promote UV resistance or hydrophobicity.

Sustainable: Sustainable resin cast shapes reduce the carbon footprint by lessening the energy used in manufacturing, shipping, and installation compared to their traditional counterparts.

• Resin shapes save energy because they do not require the high temperature of a kiln, like traditional bricks, or the energy needed to cut lumber for a wood facade.
• A lightweight, thin resin cast shape means lighter shipping loads to reduce carbon footprint.
• Lightweight resin cast shapes also lessen a building’s structural steel and concrete requirements (high carbon footprint materials) for the building’s design.

Code-Compliance: Resin brick and wood are thoroughly tested and comply with current building codes, including NFPA 268, NFPA 285, ASTM E84, and ASTM E119.

Combining Resin Cast Shapes with Prefabricated Walls

Resin cast shapes applied to prefabricated engineered systems give building professionals endless choices in color, size, and texture to create beautiful aesthetics and ensure the durability and long-term performance of a building. In addition, a fully integrated, tested, warranted prefabricated finished exterior wall panel system from a single manufacturer ensures the success of a building project by lessening application variables.

Mixed-Use Building in Newcastle, Ontario, Canada

Owner: Gyaltsan Properties
General Contractor: Wilkinson Construction Services Inc.
Architect: Nick Swerdfeger Architects
Wall Panel Engineer: SkyRise Prefab Building Solutions
Onsite Assembly Date: March 2019
Panel Type: StoPanel® Classic NExT ci with StoCast Brick and StoSignature™ Stone

SkyRise Prefab engineered, manufactured, and installed 17,000 square feet of StoPanel® Classic NExT ci panels with StoCast Brick (prefabricated resin brick shape) and StoSignature™ Stone (a customized surface aesthetic) to achieve a historical look that fits in with the heritage brick facades of the nearby historical buildings. Moreover, Sto’s wall system provides long-term durability, sustainability, and reduced maintenance to withstand severe Ontario winters. In addition, manufacturing the panels off-site makes installing and working in constrained areas easier.

StoPanel® Classic NExT ci

Like all the StoPanel Technology Systems prefabricated exterior wall panels, lightweight, energy-efficient, and durable StoPanel® Classic NExT ci comes with continuous insulation, StoGuard® waterproof air barrier, and the patented “Sto Wedge” to provide drainage. It also has an expansive range of facade aesthetic options. In addition, thermally insulating the wall structure’s exterior with continuous insulation complies with current standards and codes (ASHRAE 90.1-2019 and IRC, IBC, and IECC – 2018 and 2021).

StoPanel® Classic NExT ci prefabrication provides several significant advantages:

• Reduces change orders
• Helps to stay on budget
• ݈Reduces delivery time and labor needs
• Improves quality control and assurance
• Reduces construction wastes
• Boosts job site safety

StoCast Brick

Prefabricated, customizable, and versatile resin cast StoCast Brick provided the traditional brick look the project demanded, with several notable advantages:

1. The custom-made resin cast brick shapes come in 30 standard brick options or project-specific colors, textures, and patterns.
2. StoCast Brick offers an ideal solution for renovation projects requiring custom brick matching.
3. You can install StoCast Brick with Sto’s engineered wall systems or over above-grade vertical concrete and concrete masonry, along with stucco walls, soffits, and ceilings.

StoSignature® Stone

StoSignature® Impression Stone Finish allows you to produce various stone surface textures, ranging from smooth limestone to colorful granite. For this project, the authentic limestone look of the stone finish gives an elegant aesthetic appearance to the building.

B-Line Condominium Development in Toronto, Canada

Sto Products: StoPanel® Classic NExT ci, StoCast Brick, StoCast Wood, StoSignature™ Stone, and StoColor® Acryl Plus
Applicator: Skyrise Prefab Building Solutions
General Contractor: Skyrise Prefab Building Solutions
Architect: John Romanov | Romanov and Romanov Architects

The impressive B-Line condominium development efficiently came together thanks to Sto Panel Technology affiliate SkyRise Prefab Building Solutions in Toronto. However, SkyRise had to consider three main factors in order to make the project work:

1. The desire of client/developer Marco De Simone of Royalpark Homes for a continuous insulation solution.
2. The tight, constricted job site.
3. The need to accommodate a complex design with multiple finishes.

Fortunately, the StoPanel® Classic NExT ci panel system with Sto’s nearly endless aesthetic selections provided one complete solution to accommodate all three of the necessary factors:

• The StoPanel® Classic NExT ci panel system, with continuous insulation, maximized efficiency and comfort.
• The StoPanel® Classic NExT ci prefabricated panels allow for installation in tight site constraints.
• Sto finish layer options provided multiple contrasting finishes without scaffolding, including StoCast Wood, a resin cast wood grain plank, and StoCast Brick, a resin cast brick.

Learn more about how StoCast shapes can transform large-scale development and download our extensive resin cast shapes article today.

StoCast Wood

Flexible, lightweight StoCast Wood delivers an authentic wood appearance with resin cast wood grain planks.

StoCast Wood offers several significant benefits:

1. StoCast Wood offers architects design flexibility with 45 different wood grains and non-repeating patterns that deliver authentic wood appearances.
2. Builders can stain easy-to-install StoCast Wood with StoColor Wood Stain in an extensive range of colors in a glossy or matte finish. You can also coat with any of Sto’s high-performance architectural coatings.
3. Builders can install StoCast Wood over Sto’s engineered building enclosure systems, stucco, concrete, concrete masonry walls, and soffits and ceilings.
4. StoCast Wood provides low maintenance and durability, reducing a building’s owner’s costs for repairs and upkeep.

StoColor® Acryl Plus

Acrylic-based StoColor® Acryl Plus provides a high-performance coating that protects against weather, environmental pollutants, and salts. You can apply it to protect vertical or horizontal concrete, EIFS, stucco, masonry, or previously acrylic-coated surfaces. It comes in various colors and has a satin sheen, making it a simple way to improve a substrate’s appearance.

Why Choose StoCast Brick and Wood Facades?

Lightweight, aesthetically flexible, and easy-to-apply StoCast Brick and StoCast Wood create the attractive-classic look of brick and wood facades in a wide range of colors, textures, and patterns. The resin cast shapes also offer architects, contractors, and building owners long-term durability, excellent sustainability, ease of application, and code-compliant construction. Builders can significantly hasten their timelines by utilizing resin cast shapes with prefabricated construction.

Contact the team of Sto professionals today at (800) 221-2397 for more on resin cast brick and wood.

The post Recreating Classic Brick and Wood Facades with Resin Cast Brick and Wood appeared first on Sto Corp..

Lightweight, versatile, and simple to install, extruded polystyrene sheets typically come in 8-foot and 5-foot lengths, ranging from 16 inches to 4 feet wide and ¾-inch to 4-inches wide. The sheets come unfaced, and are covered with a foil facing, or laminated with plastic. The facing adds water resistance, and the lamination offers strength, but neither affects the sheets’ R-value. XPS sheets come in an array of colors (typically blue, green, and pink), based on the manufacturer, not insulating quality.

What is an XPS Insulation Board Used For?

Flexible XPS boards come in various compressive strengths, making them ideal for numerous applications in all areas of the building envelope:

• Above-grade insulation applications (walls, attics, ceilings, floors, and roofs)
• Below-grade walls (basements and foundation)
• Cool/refrigerated rooms
• In addition, you can use high compressive strength XPS panels to insulate rooftop parking garages and decks.

How is XPS Insulation Made?

Manufacturing XPS insulation involves combining polystyrene crystals with special additives and a gas blowing agent. Manufacturers feed the mixture into an extruding machine that blends and melts it into a thick liquid. The liquid then gets processed through a die, which expands it into foam, shapes, cools, and trims it into standard-sized rectangular or square boards, with surfaces according to the intended use.

XPS Surfaces

Specially designed machines produce XPS boards in smooth, rough, and grooved surfaces.

XPS Smooth Edge Panels

Demanding applications, like below-grade installation, utilize smooth XPS panels. Smooth, closed-cell XPS panels protect against absorption and diffusion due to long-term water exposure.

XPS Rough Surface Panels

Rough surfaces increase the adhesion of the facade plaster.

XPS Panels with Grooves

Grooves in the XPS panel enhance wall drainage and thermal insulation for foundations.

The Benefits of XPS Insulation

XPS insulation offers many benefits contributing to an eco-friendly, healthy, durable, and safe building envelope.

Energy-Efficient

XPS closed cell insulation, with an R-value of 4.6 and 5.0, gives it a high thermal resistance value, making it extremely energy efficient, by saving energy in buildings and reducing CO2 emissions.

Recyclable

100-percent recyclable XPS allows manufacturers to melt and reform the thermoplastic polystyrene resin into new XPS foam insulation.

XPS High Compressive Resistance

XPS insulation’s high compressive strength allows it to withstand a high pressure of >300 kPa, so it can withstand more than 6144 lbs ft2 (30,000 kilos m2) with a maximum deformation of 10 percent, making it ideal for challenging applications:

• Below-grade walls – foundations, basements, crawl spaces
• Perimeter insulation – protecting foundation walls from the side of the ground
• Inverted roofs – applying the waterproofing layer beneath instead of above the insulation
• Cavity walls – a wall with a hollow center
• Pitched roofs – roofs that slope downwards, often in two parts at an angle from a central ridge
• Walkable plates – the strength of XPS insulation makes it ideal for horizontal applications like floors, flat roofs, and heavily trafficked areas

Moisture-Resistant XPS Insulation

XPS insulation provides water and freeze-thaw resistance, to protect the insulation’s thermal performance from damaging rot and unhealthy mold. In addition, the high permeability of XPS insulation makes it ideal for bathrooms and other high-moisture rooms.

Simple to Install XPS Insulation

Lightweight XPS insulation allows for easy application without irritating the worker’s skin.

Problems with XPS Insulation

• The  combustibility of polystyrene foam makes XPS’s proper installation vital to avoiding a fire hazard and the emission of toxic fumes.
• The blowing agents in the manufacturing process may deplete over time, lessening the insulation value.
• XPS’s low-permeability can lead to condensation and mold problems.
• Over time, the gas bubbles within the XPS leak out, leaving air that lessens the panels’ insulation value.
• Most building professionals do not recommend XPS insulation on flat roofs because it will deform above 80 degrees.

How to Install XPS Boards

Applying XPS insulation boards involves gluing the lightweight sheets to the substrate, which is much simpler than batts, blown-in fibers, or spray foam insulation. It is important to only use the manufacturer’s recommended foam-safe adhesive. The wrong glue can melt the foam. In addition, butt the sheets snugly together and seal joints with a manufacturer-recommended adhesive seam tape.

Tips for Filling Wall and Ceiling Cavities

To insulate the stud, joist, and rafter cavities, cut the sheets to fit snug in the cavities, inserting them flush with the framing. To prevent airflow that can diminish the R-value, fill gaps along the edges with expandable insulation foam, safe for use with XPS. You can increase the R-value in two-by-six and larger dimension framing by inserting an additional layer of rigid foam insulation.

Tips for Cutting the XPS Boards

You can simply cut thin XPS sheets (less than 2-inches) by holding the straight edge of a utility knife along the cut line, scoring it about 3/4-inch deep. After scoring, lay the sheet on a table scored side up with the cut about 1-inch off the table. Firmly hold the sheet down and snap along the line. Trim the rough edges with the utility knife

For thicker sheets (greater than 2-inch), you will need a handheld drywall saw, or a table saw.

Tips for Installing XPS on Exterior Sheathing

Installing 2-inch EPS boards on exterior sheathing requires additional furring strips or other structural supports. In addition, 2-inch XPS does not supply the strength needed to support the weight of the siding. Therefore, Sto strongly recommends that you check with your local building authority to determine the required type of additional support before installing 2-inch XPS as exterior sheathing.

Sto XPS Continuous Insulation Wall Systems

Sto offers superior, simple-to-apply cladding solutions for applying XPS to an exterior wall system compared to XPS insulation boards: StoTherm ci XPS and StoPanel XPS ci. In addition, Sto XPS CI wall systems meet the requirements of fire, energy, and green building codes.

Sto XPS Wall Systems meets the requirements of NFPA 285 and NFPA 268 for use on non-combustible construction (Types I-IV).

Sto XPS Wall Systems 2021 International Building Codes (IBC)

• Ch. 26: Types I-IV (non-combustible) Construction, Ignition Resistance, Surface Burning Characteristics
• Ch. 17: Special Inspections, Types I-IV (non-combustible) Construction
• Ch. 16: Structural – Transverse Wind Load Resistance
• Ch. 14: Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems, Weather Resistance
• Ch. 7: Fire Resistance Rated Construction

Sto XPS Wall Systems 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)

• Ch. 4: Continuous Insulation (ci) over Metal Frame Walls – All Climate Zones (with sufficient ci thickness)
• Ch. 4: Continuous Air Barrier

Sto XPS Wall Systems 2021 International Green Construction Code (IGCC)

Ch. 6: Energy Conservation, Efficiency and Atmospheric Quality (Section 606: Building Thermal Envelope insulation and Air Sealing) Alternative Compliance Path: ASHRAE 189.1-2009

Sto XPS Wall Systems 2021 ASHRAE 90.1

• Section 5: Building Envelope Continuous Insulation (ci) over Metal Frame Walls – All Climate Zones (with sufficient ci thickness)
• Section 5: Continuous Air Barrier

Sto XPS Wall Systems 2021 ASHRAE 189.1 Green Building Standards Compliance

• Normative Appendix A: Building Envelope
• Continuous Insulation (ci) over Metal Frame Walls – All Climate Zones (with sufficient ci thickness) Normative Appendix B: Continuous Air Barrier

StoTherm® ci XPS 

Durable StoTherm® ci XPS, one of StoTherm® ci wall systems, is a drainable exterior insulation finishing system that incorporates high R-value XPS insulation into the wall system, and StoGuard® fluid-applied air and moisture barrier, with Owens Corning Foamular CI-C or Dow STYROFOAM™ Panel Core 20 insulation. StoTherm® ci XPS produces water and airtight air walls to ensure superior durability and thermal efficiency.

The unique, durable system sustains maximum curb appeal and lowers energy bills to save money. In addition, StoTherm® ci XPS can be finished with a variety of Sto textured finishes or specialty aesthetic finishes to accommodate your building’s design needs.

StoPanel XPS ci Wall System

Lightweight StoPanel XPS ci prefabricated panels incorporate extruded insulation within the panel assembly, and create exterior wall cladding with excellent air and weather tightness, superior thermal performance, and long-lasting durability. In addition, architects and designers can choose from Sto’s numerous decorative and protective color and finish options.

StoPowerwall® ci with Crack Defense option

StoPowerwall® ci energy-efficient stucco wall systems include StoGuard® air and water-resistive barrier, Owens Corning or Dow Type IV XPS insulation board, Sto DrainScreen, and Sto textured finishes.
StoPowerwall ci integrates continuous XPS insulation, air/moisture barrier, drainage, and Sto’s extensive collection of aesthetic surfaces in a hard coat stucco system.

Sto Colors

Designers can use Sto’s unique Color System as a planning tool for choosing the colors for their architectural designs. The Sto Color System provides several benefits:

• Clear, logical system makes it quick and easy to understand
• Ensures reliable application of Sto’s endless and harmonic colors for use on exterior and interior
• Efficient, perception-oriented presentation media for all phases of color design

Sto Traditional Finishes

Sto’s extensive selection of finishes features pure white marble aggregate, acrylic polymers in various textures, and a wide range of color options to boost your design and harmonize with the surrounding environment. In addition, durable, high-performing Sto finishes resist dirt and water, protect the building’s facade, and enhance its curb appeal. Sto high-quality finishes include:

StoCast Finishes

Specialty Aesthetic Finishes

StoSignature

Sto Traditional Finishes

iQ Technology

Sto Has the Best XPS Wall Insulation Solutions

Sto offers superior, sustainable, simple-to-apply, multiple code-compliant cladding solutions for applying XPS to an exterior wall system compared to XPS insulation boards. Drainable StoTherm® ci XPS and StoPanel XPS ci create high-performing, sustainable, and attractive cladding systems, improve indoor comfort and air quality, save both money and energy, and ensure long-term durability:

• StoTherm® ci XPS integrates continuous XPS insulation, air/moisture barrier, drainage, and Sto’s extensive collection of aesthetic surfaces.
• StoPanel XPS ci incorporates XPS insulation within the panel assembly, to create a prefabricated finished exterior wall solution with a wide range of high-end aesthetic options.
• StoPowerwall ci integrates continuous XPS insulation, air/moisture barrier, drainage, and Sto’s extensive collection of aesthetic surfaces in a hardcoat stucco system.

Don’t hesitate to contact the Sto professionals for everything you need to know about XPS insulation.

The post Everything You Need to Know About XPS Insulation appeared first on Sto Corp..

Base floor systems
Foundation wall systems
Above-grade wall systems
Doors and windows
Roof systems

Each component provides a multi-material, multi-layer assembly that extends from the interior layer (wallpaper or paint) to the outermost exterior layer (roof shingles, facade). Together, all the adjoining enclosure sub-systems make up the enclosure system in architecture.

Building Enclosure Design Considerations

Optimizing the building enclosure’s performance requires quality building enclosure solutions, like Sto’s integrated building enclosure systems, that consider interior and exterior environments, loadings, physical functions, and performance attributes of the enclosure. These also apply to the other physical components of the building.

Interior and Exterior Loadings

Loading refers to any event or characteristic that affects the enclosure, typically related to:

Gravity
Ground
Heat (thermal)
Moisture
Air

Interior-Environment Loadings

Interior-environmental loadings mainly result from the occupants, natural occurrences, or conditioning. Managing interior-environment loadings involves space conditioning to maintain temperature and humidity levels and fire prevention. Therefore, the success of the building enclosure depends on addressing the interior environment.

Exterior-Environmental Loadings

Exterior environment loadings occur due to climate (weather, hurricanes, flooding), human (smog, global warming), or nature (fire, seismic, pests). Therefore a high-performing building enclosure must provide resistance against water, wind, fire, radon, flood, earthquake, termites, and hydrostatic pressure. The durability and long-term integrity of the building or home depend on a building enclosure with all these protections.

Building Enclosure Functions

Building enclosures provide three physical functions:

Support Functions resist, transfer, and accommodate all the structural forms of loading imposed by the interior and exterior environments, the enclosure, and the building, often acting as an integral part of the building superstructure.
Control Functions regulate and moderate all the loadings due to the separation of the interior and exterior environments – the flow of mass (moisture, air, etc.) and energy (sound, heat, UV, etc.).
Finish Functions of the enclosure surface ⎯ the envelope interfaces with the exterior and interior environments. Each interface must meet the relevant visual, aesthetic, durability, and other performance requirements.

Attributes of a High-Performing Building Enclosure

A high-quality building enclosure must manage every loading to ensure long-term, successful performance and include both physical and qualitative attributes.

Simple and quick construction
Durability and long-term integrity
Superior aesthetics
Sustainability
Safety to occupants
Low-maintenance and repair needs
Financial savings during and after construction

Sto Building Enclosure Wall Systems

Sto’s integrated building enclosure systems effectively deliver a single solution for all the requirements of a high-performing building enclosure wall system, streamlining the process for contractors and installers and saving time and money. In addition, our building enclosure wall systems offer endless choices in styles, textures, and colors for creating aesthetically pleasing facades with eye-catching curb appeal. You can combine several facades in a single system without product compatibility design and transition challenges.

Sto building enclosure systems include control layers that protect the building from exterior environmental elements and also create a healthy, comfortable interior for the occupants.

• An air barrier lessens energy use and condensation by limiting unwanted airflow through the wall system.
• A permeable or impermeable (per designer specification) vapor retarder minimizes condensation by stopping the flow of water vapor as it moves from high to low-pressure areas.
• A water-resistant barrier flashes to the cladding’s exterior to stop water from infiltrating the wall cavity.
• A thermal barrier minimizes energy loss and stops thermal bridging.
• A water-shedding and durable facade protects against weather, UV exposure, pollutants, and more.

Sto products are also dependability fortified by third-party testing and code compliance, including fire testing (NFPA-285). We cover all of our wall systems with a single-source warranty.

1. StoPanel Systems Prefabricated Exterior Wall Panels

Sto’s prefabrication solution, Sto Panel® Technology, provides finished exterior wall panels. The StoPanel® system panels consist of an air barrier, water-resistant barrier, cold-formed metal framing, and applicable components, including continuous insulation (ci), sub-framing, glass mat sheathing, and facade aesthetic.

Prefabrication provides many significant advantages:

• Helps to stay on budget
• ݈Lessens delivery time and labor needs
• Improves quality control and assurance
• Boosts job site safety
• Reduces construction waste

StoPanel® Classic NExT ci

StoPanel® Classic NExT ci prefabricated wall panel is comprised of gypsum sheathing, steel framing, and StoTherm® ci facade

StoPanel® MVES

StoPanel® MVES prefabricated wall panel includes gypsum sheathing, steel framing, and Sto’s Masonry Veneer Engineered System (MVES) facade with Adhered Masonry Veneer (AMV) – natural stone, ceramic tile, cultured stone, or thin brick.

StoPanel® Mineral ci

StoPanel® Mineral ci prefabricated wall panels include gypsum sheathing, steel framing, and StoTherm® Mineral ci facade.

StoPanel® Dri-Design®

StoPanel® Dri-Design® prefabricated wall panels include gypsum sheathing, steel framing, and Dri-Design® metal facade.

StoPanel® Swisspearl®

StoPanel® Swisspearl® prefabricated wall panels include gypsum sheathing, steel framing, and Swisspearl fiber cement facade.

StoPanel® Impact ci

StoPanel® Impact ci prefabricated wall panels comprise steel framing, gypsum sheathing, and StoTherm ci system, designed specifically for small and large missile impact performance.

StoPanel® 3DP Powered by Branch Technology

Sto Panel Technology® and Branch Technology work together to create a superior 3-dimensional design for exterior walls. Prefabricated, panelized walls combine the building enclosure layers into a customizable 3D printed lightweight, strong, and simple-to-install composite shape. In addition, the Branch’s unique Cellular Fabrication (C-Fab®) 3D printing process permits you to produce a unique and highly functional architectural facade panel in endless forms or shapes.

StoPanel® Brick

StoPanel® Brick prefabricated wall panels include gypsum sheathing, steel framing, thin masonry veneers, or thin brick.

StoPanel® XPS

StoPanel® XPS prefabricated wall panels include gypsum sheathing, steel framing, and StoTherm® ci facade that includes Extruded Polystyrene Foam Insulation.

StoPanel® Metal

StoPanel® Metal prefabricated wall panels include gypsum sheathing, steel framing, and metal cladding.

StoPanel® Backup

StoPanel® Backup prefabricated wall panels include an air barrier, steel framing, gypsum sheathing, and water-resistant barrier. Builders apply the facade on-site.

StoPanel® Precast

StoPanel® Precast prefabricated wall panel includes gypsum sheathing, steel framing, gypsum sheathing, and various integral decorative and protective finish options to replicate precast concrete.

2. StoVentec® Rainscreen® Systems

Rainscreen claddings protect against moisture damage (especially essential with water-absorbing claddings) by providing a ventilation gap between the siding and air and water-resistant barrier. The small gap (as tiny as ½-inch) permits adequate drainage and drying.

StoVentec® Systems provide a complete, code-approved, fully-tested, high-performance ventilated Rainscreen® system comprised of air and water-resistant barrier, non-combustible mineral wool insulation, an easy-to-install, adjustable sub-framing assembly, and our impressive StoVentec® Rainscreen® cladding.

In the U.S., StoVentec® back-ventilated rainscreen cladding systems offer numerous finishes, providing architects with many aesthetic choices to create distinctive building facades with exceptional engineered performance features.

StoVentec® Masonry Veneer Facades

StoVentec® for masonry veneer facades offer a back-ventilated rainscreen wall system with aesthetic options of tile, thin brick, and masonry.

StoVentec® Glass

StoVentec® Glass provides an open joint, drained, and back-ventilated rainscreen wall system with an opaque glass facade, offering aesthetic choices of back-colored glass, frosted glass, and custom printed glass.

StoVentec® Render

StoVentec® Render drained and back-ventilated rainscreen wall system offers aesthetic opinions of Stolit Lotusan self-cleaning textured finish, Sto textured finish, and StoCast, Sto’s prefabricated resin cast shapes.

3. StoPowerwall® Stucco Systems

StoPowerwall® Stucco Systems combine aesthetic and protective elements into a superior wall system, including StoGuard® fluid-applied air and water-resistant barrier, StoPowerwall® Stucco, and Sto textured coatings and finishes that keep out moisture while furnishing many choices in design. In addition, Sto systems include the Sto DrainScreen drainage mat for additional moisture protection and optional Sto Crack Defense, a fortification layer for crack prevention.

StoPowerwall® DrainScreen MVES

The StoPowerwall® DrainScreen MVES stucco wall assembly with masonry, thin brick, tile, or cultured stone veneer, includes the moisture protection of StoGuard® air and water-resistant barrier and Sto DrainScreen to minimize the risk of water accumulation.

StoPowerwall® DrainScreen

The StoPowerwall® DrainScreen Stucco wall system combines the strength and durability of traditional stucco with StoGuard moisture protection, Sto high-performance finishes, and Sto DrainScreen; however, it does not include insulation.

StoPowerwall® ExtraSeal®

The StoPowerwall® ExtraSeal® stucco wall system applies directly to concrete masonry units, with Sto ExtraSeal moisture and air protection.

StoPowerwall® HI Wall Panel System

The StoPowerwall® HI stucco wall system includes continuous air and moisture barrier and drainage. It combines the durability and strength of traditional stucco with StoGuard moisture protection and Sto Armor Mat XX Mesh for additional impact resistance and reinforcement. It also meets the testing requirements for large and small missile impacts.

4. StoQuik® Silver Systems Cement Board Stucco

StoQuik® Silver Systems combines the moisture protection of StoGuard air and water-resistant barrier with the strength of a cement board substrate, a drainage mat for draining and drying, and the versatile performance and design choices of Sto’s textured finishes – reducing the moisture exposure, complex installation, and labor steps of traditional stucco.

StoQuik® Silver DrainScreen™MVES

The weather-resistant, high-impact StoQuik® Silver DrainScreen™ MVES cement board stucco system offers excellent moisture protection with natural stone, ceramic tile, manufactured stone, or thin brick stone veneer for exterior vertical above-grade walls in low-rise commercial, institutional, and residential construction.

StoQuik® Silver DrainScreen™

Durable, StoQuik® Silver DrainScreen™ cement board stucco system provides improved water drainage and superior energy efficiency.

5. Drainable EIFS (Exterior Insulation Finishing System) – StoTherm® ci Wall Systems

StoTherm® ci cladding systems integrate continuous insulation, air and water-resistant barriers, drainage, and many aesthetic finish options to create a high-performance, sustainable building enclosure system. The durable and eye-catching system maintains maximum curb appeal and saves money through reduced energy bills.

StoTherm® ci MVES

StoTherm® ci MVES (masonry veneer engineered system) integrate continuous insulation, air and water-resistant barrier, drainage and Sto’s high strength masonry veneer adhesive.. It can be used with thin brick, natural stone, ceramic tile, or manufactured stone that is in conformance with applicable building code requirements.

StoTherm® ci Mineral

The StoTherm® ci Mineral system incorporates non-combustible, mineral wool insulation and continuous air and water-resistant barrier with Sto’s high-quality finishes to produce an advanced high-performance building enclosure wall system.

StoTherm® ci XPS

High-performance, durable StoTherm® ci XPSincorporates high R-value extruded polystyrene insulation into the wall assembly and StoGuard® fluid-applied air and water-resistant barrier, to create a watertight air wall ensuring superior durability and thermal efficiency.

StoTherm® ci

StoTherm® ci combines StoTherm® and the StoGuard® waterproof air barrier systems for improved energy efficiency and protection against moisture infiltration.

StoTherm® ci HI-LM CMU 180

Hurricane-resistant, high-performing, and energy-efficient StoTherm® ci HI-LM CMU 180 provides a continuous insulation wall system that integrates StoGuard® waterproof air barrier and StoTherm® insulated cladding and drainage abilities over concrete masonry unit substrates. In addition, the StoTherm® ci HI-LM CMU 180’s engineering meets the strict Miami-Dade County, Florida NOA criteria for small and large missile impact resistance, wind load resistance, and air and water infiltration.

StoTherm® ci 1177-LM

High-performance StoTherm® ci 1177-LM exterior wall cladding system integrates a seamless air and water-resistant barrier with continuous insulation, advanced drainage abilities, and Sto® Armor Mat XX Mesh for added reinforcement and impact resistance compared to glass mat gypsum sheathing. The engineering of StoTherm® ci 1177-LM meets the strict Miami-Dade County, Florida NOA testing standards for small and large and missile impact resistance and performance on 16-gauge steel studs with gypsum sheathing.

StoTherm® ci 1177-SM

High-performance StoTherm® ci 1177-SM exterior wall cladding assembly integrates a seamless air and water-resistant barrier with continuous insulation and advanced drainage abilities compared to glass mat gypsum sheathing. In addition, the engineering of StoTherm® ci 1177-SM meets the strict Miami-Dade County, Florida NOA standards for small missile impact resistance, wind load resistance, and air and water infiltration.

StoTherm® ci HI-PLY

High-performance StoTherm® ci HI-PLY exterior wall cladding assembly combines a seamless air and water-resistant barrier with continuous insulation and advanced drainage abilities over CDX exterior plywood sheathing. In addition, the engineering of StoTherm® ci HI-PLY meets the strict Miami-Dade County, Florida NOA testing standards for large and small missile impact resistance, wind load resistance, and air and water infiltration.

6. Sto Masonry Veneer Engineered Systems

Sto Masonry Veneer Engineered Systems (MVES) offer various choices for integrating popular masonry veneer surfaces into any architectural layout. These thoroughly engineered, high-performance, and lightweight systems give you the endless design flexibility to showcase the aesthetic of brick, tile, brick, or a combination with Sto’s expansive range of architectural surfaces.

StoTherm® ci MVES

Lightweight, energy-efficient system StoTherm® ci MVES offers an engineered insulating wall system with Adhered Masonry Veneer (AMV) – natural stone, thin brick, stone, ceramic tile, or cultured stone. It combines superior weather and air tightness with outstanding thermal performance and durability.

StoPowerwall® DrainScreen MVES

StoPowerwall DrainScreen MVES comprises a Portland cement stucco wall system with Adhered Masonry Veneer (AMV) – natural stone, thin brick, ceramic tile, or cultured stone. It combines the durability and strength of portland cement stucco with Sto’s enhanced strength masonry veneer adhesive and the moisture protection of Sto’s innovated cavity wall design with StoGuard® air and water-resistant barriers.

StoQuik® Silver DrainScreen™ MVES

High-impact, weather-resistant StoQuik® Silver DrainScreen™ cement board stucco system provides superior moisture protection for exterior vertical above-grade walls in low-rise commercial, institutional, and residential construction. It also achieves the beautiful aesthetic of masonry veneers like ceramic tiles, thin bricks, natural stone, manufactured stone, and culture stones. It combines the high strength of cement board substrate with StoGuard® air and water-resistant barrier and features Sto DrainScreen technology to promote excellent drainage and drying of the wall system. It also includes StoColl masonry veneer adhesive, a high-performance polymer modified Portland cement thin-set adhesive to create an advanced engineered building enclosure system.

StoVentec® for masonry veneer facades

Drained and back ventilated StoVentec® for masonry veneer facades offers a fully engineered Rainscreen® wall system with a thin brick facade. The complete system includes continuous insulation, sub-construction, and continuous air and water-resistant barrier. Combining the internationally proven performance of the StoVentec® rainscreen system with the durability of thin brick masonry veneer offers building enclosure designers both the flexibility of form and function when combined with Sto’s other engineered wall systems.

StoPanel MVES

StoPanel® MVES prefabricated wall panels include gypsum sheathing, steel framing, and Adhered Masonry Veneer (AMV) – thin brick, ceramic tile, and natural or cultured stone. The complete wall system combines outstanding air and weather tightness with superior thermal performance and durability with Sto high-strength masonry veneer adhesive.

7. Specialty Building Enclosure Systems

Our building enclosure systems include a series of special wall assemblies engineered to meet particular building enclosure design requirements and accommodate different building substrates like Aerated Autoclave Concrete or Insulated Concrete Forms.

StoQuik® Gold System for Soffits and Ceilings

Sto provides a direct-applied Exterior Finish System (DEFS) for weather-protecting walls and un-insulated exterior soffit and ceiling applications.

Sto Interior Finish System for Pool Rooms

Sto offers a specialized decorative and protective finished system for interior walls and ceilings of residential or commercial indoor swimming pool rooms.

Sto ICF Coating System

A Sto decorative and protective finish system for Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) construction

Sto AAC Finish System

Sto offers a decorative and protective finish system for above-grade exterior AAC wall construction.

Sto ICF Insulated Finish System

Sto provides a decorative and protective finish system for Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) construction.

Why Choose Sto’s High-Performance Building Enclosure Systems?

Sto’s building enclosure systems include all the control layers required for a high-performance system. Easy to install, time-saving Sto systems combine all the wall components in a single unit:

• Continuous insulation
• Sub-framing system
• Air barriers
• Water-resistant barriers
• Endless aesthetic facade surface options accommodating all your designs

For more on high-performance building enclosure systems, don’t hesitate to contact our knowledgeable Sto professionals today.

The post Building Enclosure Systems in Architecture appeared first on Sto Corp..

What is a Brick Facade Wall?

Brick veneer exterior wall systems contain one non-loadbearing wythe on the exterior for aesthetic purposes. Brick facades also provide an exterior barrier for protection against elements. Specific features of a brick facade wall include:

• A structural shelf mechanically attached to the interior wythe supports the brick veneer panels.
• The structural support of the brick veneer section comes from an interior wythe made of steel, concrete, or wood that makes up the backup wall.
• The open cavity between the brick and backup walls provides space to add insulation and mortar collection devices.
• The brick veneer details must include proper flashings and weep devices to enable water to exit the cavity to the building’s exterior.

Brick Veneer vs. Solid Brick Wall Systems

The differences between solid brick and brick veneer walls results from how the builder assembles the brick in the wall system and the brick veneer details – both have an impact on the walls’ structural and thermal performance.

Up until the mid-1900s, many builders used solid brick construction. Solid brick (solid brick, double brick, or brick and block) construction uses several layers (wythes) of brick, held together by holder rows or metal ties. Both the interior and exterior wythes carry horizontal and vertical loads. It was also common to substitute the unseen inner layer with concrete or cinder blocks.

The thick, solid brick walls provide the building’s structural support. They can support a wide variety of roofing. However, solid brick construction does not provide thermal insulation, so today’s builders use it primarily for structures that do not require energy efficiency.

The Benefits of Brick Veneer Over Solid Brick Walls

Brick veneer walls offer several advantages over solid brick exterior walls:

Energy-Efficiency

The thermal properties of brick make it an ineffective insulator. Adding insulation to the veneer cavity walls significantly increases the wall’s energy efficiency compared to solid brick walls.

Water Drainage

Brick veneer cavity walls use weep systems to remove the water from behind the bricks to the exterior. Solid brick walls resist moisture infiltration by shedding bulk water at the surface and by absorbing, storing, and then releasing moisture. However, if the brick becomes saturated (due to improper detailing or lack of maintenance), the masonry will deteriorate, affecting materials in the building’s interior.

Sto Masonry Veneer Wall Systems

Sto offers several simple-to-apply solutions to achieve brick veneer wall systems: Sto Masonry Veneer Engineered Systems and StoPanel Brick ci. Builders and architects appreciate the significant advantages of Sto brick veneer systems. Our complete wall systems include air and water-resistant barriers, thermal insulation, reinforcements, and many aesthetic facade options, like brick veneer. In addition, our brick veneer walls offer a sustainable, complete wall system with fire resistance.

StoPanel Brick ci

Lightweight, energy-efficient, and fire-resistant StoPanel® Brick prefabricated wall panels include gypsum sheathing, steel framing, exterior insulation, and continuous air barrier, with thin brick or masonry veneers, all at a fraction of the weight of traditional thick brick veneer. In addition, StoPanel® Brick meets or exceeds numerous building codes and sustainable standards.

StoPanel® Brick provides building code compliance for,

• 2021 IBC
  • Chapter 7: Fire Resistance Rated Construction
  • Chapter 16: Structural – Transverse Wind Load Resistance
  • Chapter 26: Types I-IV (noncombustible) Construction, Ignition Resistance, Surface Burning Characteristics
• NFPA 285 and NFPA 268 for noncombustible construction (Types I-IV). Refer to ICC ESR 1233 and HAI Project No. 1JJB05184.001.
• 2021 IECC
  • Chapter 4: Continuous Air Barrier
• 2021 IGCC
• • Chapter 6: Energy Conservation, Efficiency and Atmospheric Quality (Section 606: Building Thermal Envelope insulation and Air Sealing) Alternative Compliance Path: ASHRAE 189.1-2009

Sustainable StoPanel® Brick complies with,

• 2021 Energy Standards Compliance ASHRAE 90.1 Section 5: Continuous Air Barrier
• Green Building Standards Compliance ASHRAE 189.1 – 2009 Normative Appendix B: Continuous Air Barrier
• LEED Eligibility Eligible contributing towards credits in the following NC (New Construction) categories: Energy and Atmosphere (EA) Materials and Resources (MR) Innovation in Design (ID)

StoPanel Brick ci Project

Lightweight, energy-efficient StoPanel® Brick ci provides a complete prefabricated exterior wall panel with a continuous air and water-resistant barrier and exterior insulation with a veneer, like a thin brick.

Westwood Storage, Westwood, New Jersey.
Sto Products: StoPanel® Classic ci, StoPanel® Brick ci

Owner: The Hampshire Companies
General Contractor: Hollister Construction
Architect: SNS Architects & Engineers
PC Engineer: SNS Architects & Engineers

Contractors installed prefabricated StoPanels quickly and efficiently, despite the tight working conditions of this job site. In addition, architects accomplished the building’s complex finish design goals, including multiple textures, with a combination of two different StoPanel® systems: StoPanel® Classic ci and StoPanel® Brick ci.

StoTherm® ci MVES Brick Veneer

Fully tested, code-compliate StoTherm ci MVES offers an engineered insulating wall system with Adhered Masonry Veneer (AMV) – thin brick, ceramic tile, and cultured and natural stone. It incorporates continuous exterior insulation and air and water-resistant barrier with Sto high-strength masonry veneer adhesive to provide superior air and weather tightness with outstanding thermal performance and durability.

StoTherm® ci MVES creates energy-efficient, air- and water-resistant, and aesthetically pleasing commercial and residential or commercial walls, ideal for the climate extremes of North America. In addition, it offers an endless blend of color, texture, profiles, and effects to create customizable finished surfaces, including brick, applicable to any Sto wall system.

Sto Offers the Best Brick Veneer Systems

Lightweight, Sto brick veneer systems ( Sto Masonry Veneer Engineered Systems and StoPanel Brick ci.) provide architects and contractors with a single-source system that offers many brick patterns and colors for mortar and finished layers – perfect for retrofitting and new construction. In addition, our complete brick veneer systems contribute towards energy-efficient, moisture and fire-resistant, safe, and healthy buildings and homes.

Don’t hesitate to contact the Sto professionals today for more on brick veneer wall systems.

The post Brick Veneer Wall Systems Explained [Ultimate Guide] appeared first on Sto Corp..

The design of the cladding system must ensure durability, sustainability, and energy efficiency. The building cladding influences the look and feel of the surrounding area, so it should give visitors a memorable first impression of the building.

What is a Cladding System?

The building cladding refers to all the building components that are attached to its primary structure (parts that keep it standing), that form the external, non-structural surfaces. Often, cladding attaches to the building’s structural frame as prefabricated panels, whether it’s cladding systems for high-rise buildings or residential homes.

A high-performing cladding for buildings provides more than just a building’s exterior facade and aesthetics. Quality building cladding systems:

• Protect the structures from external elements (rain, snow, wind, ice)
• Minimize the spread of fire
• Provide thermal insulation to create air tight building envelope to manage the inside environment
• Transfer impact and wind loads to the structural framework
• Provide privacy and security and prevent the transmission of sound
• Provide openings for ventilation, daylight, and access

Properly-installed, high-quality, well-designed cladding materials for buildings minimize air leakage, maximize thermal performance, and optimize natural daylight. These features lessen the need for electrical and mechanical systems and contribute toward a sustainable, energy-efficient, safe, and durable building.

The Four D’s of High-Quality Cladding Systems

High-quality cladding systems must provide consistent deflection, drainage, drying, and durability:

1. Drainage refers to cladding materials’ capacity to allow water that gets behind the outer surface to drain. Applying a water-resistant barrier over the sheathing and a drainage gap between the sheathing and the cladding can provide adequate drainage. However, stucco cladding, which can’t handle large volumes of water, often needs enhanced drainage, requiring a drainage mat to increase the space between the cement membrane and WRB. The space permits more accessible water flow down and out from within the cladding.
2. Deflection refers to the cladding’s ability to consistently deflect ice, snow, and rain that attacks the outside wall surface. In addition, you can assist the water deflection with gutters and overhangs.
3. Drying refers to a cladding system’s permeability or ability to permit ventilation within the system to encourage drying. Building codes often require vapor-permeable exterior cladding to permit moisture or condensation to travel through it as a vapor when heated by the sun. Including open space at the top and base of the wall cladding will allow airflow and additional drying.
4. Durability refers to the cladding system’s ability to resist continuous exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays, thermal contraction and expansion, and wetting-and-drying cycles. Durable cladding systems will help stop leaks and protect the building envelope’s integrity.

Other essential features to consider when choosing a high-performance cladding system include:

• Ease of installation
• Continuous insulation, adequate airtightness, and control of thermal movement
• Low-maintenance
• Fire resistance

Sto High-Performance Cladding Systems

Sto offers various simple and quick-to-install, high-quality cladding systems that meet the requirements for water drainage and deflection, permeability, airtightness, fire resistance, low maintenance, and long-lasting durability, to preserve a building’s integrity for its lifetime. We cover every feature of our wall systems under a single-system warranty.

Our systems combine all of the wall components into one tested, code-compliant system: continuous thermal insulation, air and water-resistive barrier, and endless aesthetic facade surface choices to meet all the needs of your design. In addition, you can combine several facade aesthetics into one system without transitions and product compatibility design difficulties.

Our tested systems at Sto also ensure that all components work together as mandated by today’s building codes:

• Sto high-performance wall systems provide air leakage below 0.04 cfm/ft2 at 1.57 psf (0.2 L/s•m2 at 75Pa) when tested according to ASTM E2357 – a feature that potentially saves 40 percent in cooling and heating costs.
• Sto’s wall cladding’s high R-value ( e.g. StoTherm® has an R-Value of 3.6 per inch) limits thermal bridging and lessens energy use. 
• Sto products achieve a Class A rating when tested in accordance with ASTM 84 for Flame Spread and Smoke Development.
• Sto walls have achieved several sustainable credentials:
  • Manufactured in ISO 9001 (Quality) and ISO 14001 (Environmental)  certified factories
  • SCAQMD (South Coast Air Quality Management District) VOC requirements
  • C-ES durability and fire protection criteria
• Sto wall systems that contain combustible insulation or other combustible elements meet the requirements of:
  • NFPA 268 fire testing, which offers a method to assess the chance for a fire in one building to ignite a nearby building.
  • NFPA 285 fire testing, which evaluates the fire performance of wall assemblies with combustible insulation or other combustible components in noncombustible construction.
  • ASTM E 119 fire testing, which establishes the hourly fire-resistance rating of the wall assembly.

30 Sto High-Performance Cladding Systems

Drainable EIFS (Exterior Insulation Finishing System) – StoTherm® ci Wall Systems

StoTherm® ci cladding systems combine continuous insulation (ci), drainage, air and water-resistive barrier, and many aesthetic finish options to create a sustainable, high-performance wall cladding. The beautiful and durable system maintains long-lasting curb appeal and saves money through reduced energy bills.

1. StoTherm® ci MVES

StoTherm® ci MVES (masonry veneer engineered systems) with masonry veneer in ceramic tile, natural stone, or manufactured stone conforms to relevant building code requirements.

2. StoTherm® ci Mineral

The StoTherm® ci Mineral system incorporates non-combustible, mineral wool insulation and continuous water-restrictive and air barrier with Sto’s high-performance finishes to create an advanced high-quality wall cladding system.

3. StoTherm® ci XPS

High-performance and durable StoTherm® ci XPS incorporates elevated R-value extruded polystyrene insulation into the wall assembly and StoGuard® fluid-applied air and water-resistive barrier, to produce a water and airtight wall, and ensure thermal efficiency and superior durability.

4. StoTherm® ci

StoTherm® ci combines StoTherm® and the StoGuard® air and water-resistive barrier system for increased energy efficiency and protection against moisture infiltration.

5. StoTherm® ci HI-LM CMU 180

Energy-efficient, high-performing, and hurricane-resistant StoTherm® ci HI-LM CMU 180 is a continuous insulation wall cladding that combines StoGuard® waterproof air barrier, StoTherm® insulated cladding, and drainage. In addition, the StoTherm® ci HI-LM CMU 180’s engineering meets the strict Miami-Dade County, Florida NOA criteria for small and large missile impact resistance, water and air infiltration, and wind load resistance.

6. StoTherm® ci 1177-LM

The high-performance StoTherm® ci 1177-LM exterior wall cladding system combines seamless air and water-resistive barrier with continuous insulation, advanced drainage potential, and Sto® Armor Mat XX Mesh for added reinforcement and impact resistance over glass mat gypsum sheathing. The engineering of StoTherm® ci 1177-LM meets the strict Miami-Dade County, Florida NOA testing criteria for small and large missile impact resistance and performance on 16-gauge steel studs with gypsum sheathing.

7. StoTherm® ci 1177-SM

The StoTherm® ci 1177-SM exterior wall cladding system combines seamless water and air barrier with continuous insulation and advanced drainage potential over glass mat gypsum sheathing. In addition, the engineering of StoTherm® ci 1177-SM meets the stringent Miami-Dade County, Florida NOA standard for small missile impact resistance, water and air infiltration, and wind load resistance.

8. StoTherm® ci HI-PLY

The StoTherm® ci HI-PLY exterior wall cladding system combines seamless water-restrictive and air barrier with continuous insulation and advanced drainage potential over CDX exterior plywood sheathing. In addition, the engineering of StoTherm® ci HI-Ply meets the strict Miami-Dade County, Florida NOA testing standard for small and large missile impact resistance, water and air infiltration, and wind load resistance.

StoVentec® Rainscreen Systems

Rainscreen claddings protect against damaging moisture (especially crucial with water-absorbing claddings) by providing a ventilation gap between the siding and water and air barrier. A small gap (as tiny as ½-inch) permits adequate drainage and drying.

StoVentec® Systems are a complete, fully-tested, and code-approved high-quality ventilated Rainscreen® system that includes water-restrictive and air barrier, non-combustible mineral wool insulation, an installer-friendly, adjustable sub-framing system, and our outstanding StoVentec® Rainscreen® cladding.

In the U.S., StoVentec® ventilated rainscreen cladding systems come in several finishes to provide designers with a range of aesthetic options to create unique building facades with high-performance engineered characteristics.

9. StoVentec® for Masonry Veneer Facades

StoVentec® masonry veneer facades provide a drained and back-ventilated rainscreen wall system with aesthetic options of thin brick, tile, and masonry.

10.StoVentec® Glass

StoVentec® Glass is an open joint, drained, and back-ventilated rainscreen wall system with an opaque glass facade in aesthetic options of back-colored glass, custom printed glass, and frosted glass.

11. StoVentec® Render

StoVentec® Render is a drained and back-ventilated rainscreen wall assembly that offers performative aesthetics including Sto textured finishes, Stolit Lotusan self-cleaning textured finish, Sto specialty finishes and Sto Cast, Sto’s prefabricated resin cast shapes.

StoPanel Technology Systems Prefabricated Exterior Wall Panels

Sto’s prefabrication solution, Sto Panel Technology®, is finished exterior wall panels. The StoPanel® system panels contain cold-formed metal framing and other applicable components, including glass mat sheathing, continuous insulation, water-restrictive and air barrier, sub-framing, and a facade aesthetic. Thermally insulating the exterior of the wall structure with continuous insulation makes them compliant with the latest standards and codes (ASHRAE 90.1-2019 and IBC, IRC, and IECC – 2018 and 2021).

Prefabrication provides several significant benefits:

• Helps to stay on budget
• Lessens change orders
• ݈Lowers delivery time and labor needs
• Improves quality control and assurance
• Boosts job site safety
• Reduces construction wastes

12. StoPanel® Classic NExT ci

StoPanel® Classic NExT ci prefabricated wall panels include gypsum sheathing, steel framing, and StoTherm® ci facade.

13. StoPanel® Mineral ci

StoPanel® Mineral ci prefabricated wall panels include gypsum sheathing, steel framing, non-combustible continuous insulation, continuous air and water-resistive barrier and a wide variety of Sto textured and specialty finishes.

14. StoPanel MVES

StoPanel® MVES prefabricated wall panels include gypsum sheathing, steel framing, and Adhered Masonry Veneer (AMV) – thin brick, ceramic tile, natural stone, or cultured stone.

15. StoPanel® Impact ci

StoPanel® Impact ci prefabricated wall panel includes gypsum sheathing, steel framing, and a StoTherm ci system, designed to meet the Miami-Dade small and large missile impact requirements.

16. StoPanel® Dri-Design®

StoPanel® Dri-Design® prefabricated wall panel includes gypsum sheathing, steel framing, and Dri-Design® metal facade.

17. StoPanel® Swisspearl®

StoPanel® Swisspearl® prefabricated wall panel includes gypsum sheathing, steel framing, and Swisspearl fiber cement facade.

18. StoPanel® 3DP Powered by Branch Technology

Sto Panel Technology® and Branch Technology creates a superior 3-dimensional design for exterior walls. The prefabricated, panelized wall combines the building envelope layers into a customizable 3D printed lightweight, easy-to-install, robust, and composite shape. In addition, the branch’s unique Cellular Fabrication (C-Fab®) 3D printing process can create a highly unique and functional architectural facade panel in virtually any form or shape.

19. StoPanel® XPS

StoPanel® XPS prefabricated wall panels include gypsum sheathing, steel framing, and StoTherm® ci facade that includes Extruded Polystyrene Foam Insulation.

20. StoPanel® Brick

StoPanel® Brick prefabricated wall panels include gypsum sheathing and steel framing, with thin masonry or brick veneers.

21. StoPanel® Precast

StoPanel® Precast prefabricated wall panels include gypsum sheathing, steel framing, and various integral decorative and protective finish choices to replicate precast concrete.

22. StoPanel® Metal

StoPanel® Metal prefabricated wall panels include gypsum sheathing, steel framing, and metal facade.

23. StoPanel® Backup

StoPanel® Backup prefabricated wall panels contain steel framing, gypsum sheathing, and an air/water-restrictive barrier. Builders apply the facade on-site.

StoQuik® Silver Systems Cement Board Stucco

StoQuik® Silver Systems combine the moisture protection of StoGuard air and water-resistive barrier with the draining and drying of a drainage mat, the strength of a cement board substrate, and the versatile performance and selections of Sto’s textured finishes – without complicated installation, moisture exposures, and labor steps of traditional stucco.

24. StoQuik® Silver DrainScreen™

Durable StoQuik® Silver DrainScreen™ cement board stucco system provides excellent energy efficiency and improved water drainage.

25. StoQuik Silver® DrainScreen™ MVES

High-impact and weather-resistant StoQuik® Silver DrainScreen™ cement board stucco system provides superior moisture protection for exterior vertical above-grade walls in low-rise commercial, institutional, and residential construction. It combines the StoGuard® air and water-restrictive barrier with the strength of cement board substrate while achieving the aesthetic of masonry veneers such as thin bricks, natural stone, ceramic tiles, and manufactured and culture stones

In addition, StoQuik® Silver DrainScreen™ features Sto DrainScreen technology to promote superior drainage and drying of the wall system. It also incorporates StoColl masonry veneer adhesive, a high-performance polymer modified portland cement thin-set adhesive to produce an advanced engineered wall cladding system.

StoPowerwall® Stucco Systems

26. StoPowerwall® Stucco Systems

StoPowerwall® Stucco Systems provide fully-tested stucco systems with superior moisture management and comprehensive design options, to ensure low-maintenance and durable claddings with all the protection and energy efficiency of StoGuard®.

StoPowerwall® Stucco Systems combine protective and aesthetic elements into a superior wall cladding, including StoGuard® fluid-applied moisture and air barrier, StoPowerwall® Stucco, and Sto textured finishes and coatings that keep out moisture while furnishing many design options. In addition, Sto systems include the Sto DrainScreen drainage mat for added moisture protection and optional Crack Defense, an added fortification layer for preventing cracking.

27. StoPowerwall® DrainScreen MVES

The StoPowerwall® DrainScreen MVES stucco wall assembly with masonry, thin brick, tile, or cultured stone veneer, includes the moisture protection of StoGuard® water-restrictive and air barrier and Sto DrainScreen to lessen the risk of water accumulation.

28. StoPowerwall® ci

StoPowerwall® ci energy-efficient stucco wall assemblies include continuous insulation of outbound extruded polystyrene (EPS).

29. StoPowerwall® ExtraSeal®

The StoPowerwall® ExtraSeal® stucco wall system applies directly to concrete masonry units with Sto ExtraSeal moisture and air protection.

30. StoPowerwall® DrainScreen

The StoPowerwall® DrainScreen stucco wall systems integrate the durability and strength of traditional stucco with StoGuard moisture protection, Sto DrainScreen, and Sto high-performance finishes. However, it does not include insulation.

Why Select Sto’s High-Performance Cladding Systems?

Sto’s 30 cladding systems offer all the crucial components a high-performance cladding system needs to provide moisture protection through deflecting, draining, and evaporating moisture on the inside and outside of the wall assembly. They also create energy-efficient, long-lasting, and durable cladding systems.

Furthermore, quick and easy-to-install, Sto systems integrate all the wall components into one unit:

• Air and water-resistive barrier
• Continuous insulation
• Reinforcement system
• Endless aesthetic facade surface options to accommodate all the needs of your designs without the design challenges of transitions between systems

Download our comprehensive guide on engineered building enclosures today for more on high-performance cladding systems.

The post 30 High Performance Cladding Systems appeared first on Sto Corp..

4 Benefits of Panelized Wall Construction

Utilizing prefab exterior walls, like Sto’s prefabrication solution, Sto Panel® Technology, can reduce construction costs, contribute to sustainability, accelerate building enclosure schedules, improve quality control, lessen onsite labor needs, and enhance job site safety. The success of a project depends tremendously on early planning for the use of prefabricated building techniques, and good communication between the architect, GC and panel manufacturer.

1. Pre Engineered Wall Panels Lessen Construction Costs

Prefab wall panels manufacturers help accelerate project delivery time, reducing overall construction costs and allowing you to realize profits sooner:

• Efficient prefabricated exterior wall panel construction generates less waste, to save on materials.
• Because much of prefab wall construction occurs in a factory, you can also lower your security costs by lessening the risk of theft and vandalism on the project site.
• Prefab construction lessens construction time over traditional methods by offering efficient upfront planning, minimized delays due to on-site weather factors, reduced subcontractor scheduling delays, and the ability to manufacture the panels while the initial sitework and structural framing of the building is being completed. In fact, it can take less than half the time to complete modular construction compared to traditional building methods, which can reduce project costs tremendously.
• Prefabricated wall panels for commercial construction significantly reduces the number of skilled labor installers required on the job site, which is particularly beneficial, as many contractors today struggle with ongoing skilled labor shortages.

2. Sustainable Panelized Wall System Manufacturers

Prefabricated wall panels can contribute significantly to sustainability:

• Building prefab walls inside a manufacturing facility can cut raw material waste at the job site by nearly 50 percent compared to traditional construction. A survey of 800 building professionals by McGraw-Hill Construction found that 77 percent reported a decrease in construction site waste due to modular construction.
• Prefab panel manufacturing allows for the in-house recycling of materials.
• The controlled environment of a prefabricated factory allows for more precise construction, tighter joints, and proper storage of materials which improves the overall quality and performance of the wall system.
• Factory-built construction of structural wall panels significantly lessens truck traffic, equipment, and material suppliers around the job site, to minimize soil disturbance and erosion of the area.

3. Panel Wall Construction Improves Quality Control

Manufacturing of prefabricated construction boards occurs in a climate controlled, indoor environment by an experienced crew and precise machine equipment, to ensure uniform quality between the sub-assemblies of the structure and conformity to building code. Traditional site-built structures depend on independent contractors’ varying schedules and skill levels, which can affect the craftsmanship and overall quality of the finished product.

Moreover, fabricators can work out flaws in the prefab walls in the factory setting before any product reaches the job site.

4. Prefabricated Panels Create a Safe Work Environment

Using prefabricated panels can improve the safety of workers and future occupants of the building:

• The ergonomic design of indoor construction facilities improves the safety and comfort of the workers.
• The controlled environment also provides more efficient access to tools and improved lighting.
• Prefabricated wall panels come assembled and ready to drop into place with the help of a crane, to avoid the hazards of using scaffolds and other methods to build a multi-floor wall on-site.
• Building walls off-site will reduce workers’ exposure to dangerous wind, rain, lightning, as well as changing ground conditions.
• In addition, factory-controlled environments utilize dry materials, lessening the risk for problems associated with moisture, environmental hazards, and dirt, which protects workers on the construction site, along with the project’s future occupants.

StoPanel® Systems Prefabricated Exterior Wall Panels

Sto’s prefabrication solution, Sto Panel® Technology, offers finished exterior wall panels that provide a high-performing building envelope. The StoPanel® system panels contain cold-formed metal framing and other valuable components, including continuous insulation (ci), air and moisture barrier, glass mat sheathing, sub-framing, and facade aesthetic.

Sto Panel® Technology’s branded, tested, proven, and warranted prefabricated finished wall panel designs offer owners, builders, architects, and design consultants a recognizable, high-quality standard for producing and installing the exterior walls of their commercial buildings.

Cherese Mari Laulhere Children’s Village at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital, Long Beach, CA

A major challenge faced by the builder and architects involved completing the elaborate interior work on schedule. In addition, they faced exterior envelope challenges: extensive wall penetrations, bright and diverse colors and textures, precise alignment of Dri-Design metal panel joints with EIFS reveals. They also had to accommodate California seismic requirements.

Fortunately, prefabricating the exterior walls with StoPanel® Classic NExT ci and StoPanel® Dri-Design® simplified the exterior wall installation, to free up time for the interior work. Moreover, the panels’ design accommodated seismic needs, addressed critical visual alignments, and delivered the intense textures and colors essential to the design theme.

Hilton Canopy Hotel, Tempe, Arizona

Kapture Prefab combined StoPanel® Classic NExT ci with StoPanel® Dri-Design® panels for the Hilton Canopy Hotel to meet the specific challenges: a tight job site, quick timeline, and unique design.

• Surrounded by existing buildings, one only 3 feet away, workers could safely position the panels in place using a tower crane and controlled taglines.
• StoPanel® prefabrication trimmed the schedule by three months compared to traditional construction methods.
• A unique design element of the Arizona State University hotel included the installation of Dri-Design® metal panels on the building’s facade, which were patterned to represent the notes of the school’s fight song.

Kean University, Union, NJ

Western Michigan University chose Claremont Construction Group to work with Netta Architects to develop panel details for a design-assist delivery of the exterior building enclosure of a new six-story residential housing unit. Prefabrication, instead of traditional building methods, allowed workers to complete the exterior building envelope quickly so that they could complete the interior work during the region’s heavy snow and cold temperatures.

Installers set 48′ StoPanel® Metal ci panels on the upper four floors and Sto Backup panels on the two bottom floors. The project required 206 prefabricated wall panels. Each panel took 37 minutes to install, which significantly reduced the completion time compared to an on-site building.

Why Choose Sto’s prefabrication solution, Sto Panel® Technology?

Sto’s prefabrication solution, Sto Panel® Technology, for commercial construction provides an excellent option for efficient, sustainable, and safe construction. Precisely manufactured in-house, and delivered directly to your job site, prefab improves quality control and enhances job site safety. Sto Panel® Technology lessens construction costs by allowing you to build faster and with less labor and waste.

Download our comprehensive reference guide today to learn more about the industry shift to panelization and get more information on panelized walls from Sto.

The post 4 Benefits of Prefabricated Exterior Wall Panels for Commercial Construction appeared first on Sto Corp..

Precast Concrete Panels Definition

Precast concrete wall panels provide a single cladding assembly built by one certified manufacturer in a controlled environment. They allow for quick and straightforward exterior finish wall application for a building.

Durable precast concrete panels provide good structural framing, and heat, air, and moisture control. In addition, architects can choose from unlimited forms, colors, and textures for precast concrete cladding panels and various finishes, including precast concrete brick panels, exposed aggregate, sandblasted, stone, and thin brick veneers.

Insulated precast concrete panels lower costs during and after construction:

• Builders can quickly install precast concrete wall panels year-round, hastening project timelines.
• Panels deliver to the job site ready to install, requiring no precast concrete panels’ fabrication, processing, or cutting.
• Load-bearing precast panels lower framing costs by providing a column-free building perimeter
• The exterior facade of precast panels does not require painting.
• When properly installed, precast panels resist impact, corrosion, weathering, and abrasion, to reduce maintenance and repair expenses. 
• Precast panel’s continuous insulation and inherent thermal mass inertia of concrete decreases peak heating and cooling loads, reducing daily temperature swings and saving energy.

Disadvantages of Precast Concrete Wall Panels

Problems associated with heavy precast concrete panels include handling issues, moisture problems, insufficient thermal performance and fire resistance, and costly-time-consuming maintenance. 

Transportation and Handling Issues

The cost to transport heavy concrete wall panels ( trailers and fuel) can quickly eat into a budget. In addition, handling the precast concrete requires costly and portable tower cranes. 

Moisture Problems

Improper detailing at the connection or cracks in the panel during the cooling and drying after the curing process can allow moisture to enter precast concrete wall systems, leading to widespread water problems due to condensation within the wall construction. Moisture can cause substantial damage to finish materials, corroding and deteriorating the metal components. In addition, moisture can cause structurally damaging and unhealthy mold.

Thermal Performance

Precast wall panel’s thermal performance comes mainly from the amount of insulation placed in the cavity or within the backup wall, which can vary tremendously depending on the insulation. The standard insulation types in precast insulated wall panels include:

• Expanded polystyrene (EPS), R-value: 3.85 to 4.35 per inch (based on material’s density)
• Extruded polystyrene (XPS), R-value: 5.0 per inch
• Polyisocyanurate, R-value: 6.0 to 8.0 per inch

Fire-Resistance Problems

Fire Engineering Magazine cites several fire-related problems with precast concrete panels, particularly for large commercial construction: 

• The concrete can break apart if under prolonged attack by fire, and lead to collapsing walls. 
• Removal of the steel’s fire protection coating exposes the steel to potential fires. 
• Compartments can retain heat, causing the rapid development of fire. 
• The roofing design and materials make it challenging to penetrate the roofs for ventilation.
• Expansive-open floor plans of large precast concrete commercial buildings can facilitate the spreading of smoke, heat, and fire.
• Precast concrete panels may allow the vertical fire to spread through unprotected electrical poke-through(s), elevator shafts, HVAC ductwork, exterior curtain walls, open access stairs between floors. Flames may also spread outside the building (auto-exposure) from a floor to above the floor.

Routine Maintenance Required

For aesthetics, sealer or concrete coating on the precast concrete panels reduces moisture penetration into the panel; however, the sealer or coating requires reapplication every 7 to 20 years.

The Best Alternative to Precast Concrete Wall Panels – 

StoPanel® Technology Prefabricated Exterior Wall Panels

StoPanel Systems Prefabricated Exterior Wall Panels are a better alternative to precast concrete wall panels. Our lightweight, easy-to-handle system combines all wall components: continuous thermal insulation, air and moisture barrier, and installer-friendly, adjustable sub-framing system – under a single system warranty.

• Lightweight StoPanel Systems allow for easier, less costly transporting, handling, and installation.
• Sto’s straightforward installation of prefabricated exterior wall panels lessens construction errors that lead to callbacks cost overruns. 
• StoPanel Systems pass the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 285 test, a standard measurement for flammability characteristics of current exterior wall systems.
• Durable StoPanel systems withstand continued and repeated exposure to the sun, thermal contractor and expansion, and wetting-and-drying cycles – features that lessen maintenance and lengthen the structure’s lifespan. 
• Easy to install StoPanel System’s prefabricated exterior wall panels, meets the requirements for excellent moisture-resistant (deflection, drainage, and drying). 

In addition, we provide numerous aesthetic facade surface options, accommodating all the needs of your designs. Our tested system ensures that all components of the wall will work together according to today’s building codes. 

Sto’s prefabrication solution, Sto Panel Technology®, features prefabricated finished exterior wall panels that include cold-formed metal framing and other applicable components like continuous insulation (ci), glass mat sheathing, air and water-resistive barrier, sub-framing, and facade aesthetic.

 1. StoPanel® Classic NExT ci

The StoPanel® Classic NExT ci prefabricated wall panel includes steel framing, gypsum sheathing, and StoTherm ci facade.

2. StoPanel® MVES

The StoPanel® MVES prefabricated wall panel includes steel framing, gypsum sheathing, exterior insulation, StoGuard air and water resistive barrier, and adhered masonry veneer including thin brick, natural stone, ceramic tile, or cultured stone.

3. StoPanel® Mineral ci

StoPanel® Mineral ci prefabricated wall panels include steel framing, gypsum sheathing, mineral wool non combustible continuous insulation, continuous air and water resistive barrier and StoTherm Mineral ci facade.

4. StoPanel® Impact ci

StoPanel® Impact ci prefabricated wall panels include steel framing, gypsum sheathing, and StoTherm ci system, designed specifically for large and small missile impact performance.

5. StoPanel® 3DP powered by Branch Technology

Working together, StoPanel Technology® and Branch Technology created an exceptional 3-dimensional design for exterior walls. The prefabricated, panelized wall integrates the building envelope layers into a customizable 3D printed lightweight, robust, and easy-to-install composite shape. Branch’s unique Cellular Fabrication (C-Fab®) 3D printing process allows you to create a highly functional and unique architectural facade panel in virtually any shape or form.

6. StoPanel® XPS

StoPanel® XPS prefabricated wall panels include steel framing, gypsum sheathing, extruded insulation and StoTherm ci facade.

7. StoPanel® Precast

The StoPanel® Precast prefabricated wall panel includes steel framing, gypsum sheathing, and a facade system.

8. StoPanel® Backup

StoPanel® Backup prefabricated wall panels include steel framing, gypsum sheathing, and air/moisture barrier. Builders apply facade on-site.

9. StoPanel® Classic ci

StoPanel® Classic ci prefabricated wall panels include steel framing, gypsum sheathing, continuous insulation and air and water resistive barrier and StoTherm ci facade.

StoPanel® Technology Prefabricated Exterior Wall Panels

Sto’s thorough, proven engineering methods can help you bring your design vision to life with thorough, established, and engineered methods. Sto Panel® Technology offers an expansive range of high-end aesthetic choices and a variety of code-compliant energy-saving wall systems. Our proven and unique solutions to building project challenges can significantly quicken your construction schedule, lessen waste, and enhance workmanship quality.

Examples in the Real World

Scout Living at Ponce City Market

One Bala Plaza

Public Self-Storage at 155 W 29th St NYC

For more on why Sto is the best alternative to precast concrete wall panels, explore additional information in our comprehensive, downloadable guide.

The post Precast Concrete Wall Panels and a Better Alternative appeared first on Sto Corp..

The design must ensure the building cladding systems’ durability, energy efficiency, and sustainability. The cladding’s aesthetic appeal for high-rise buildings or modest homes provides the structure’s first impression and influences the feel and look of the surrounding environment.

What Is a Cladding System?

The building cladding refers to all the components attached to the building’s primary structure (parts that keep a structure standing), and form the non-structural, external surfaces. Often, cladding attaches to the structural frame of the building as prefabricated panels.

A high-performing cladding system provides much more than just a building’s exterior facade and aesthetics. Quality cladding systems:

• Transfer wind and impact loads to the structural framework
• Protect the structures from external elements (rain, wind, snow, ice)
• Provide thermal insulation to create an airtight building envelope, to control the inside environment
• Provide security and privacy, and prevent the transmission of sound
• Limit the spread of fire
• Provide openings for daylight, ventilation, and access

High-quality, properly-installed, and well-designed cladding materials for buildings minimize air leakage, maximize thermal performance, and optimize natural daylighting. These features lessen the need for mechanical and electrical service, and contribute towards a sustainable, energy-efficient, safe, and durable building.

The Four D’s of High-Performance Cladding Systems

High-performance cladding systems must provide effective deflection, drainage, drying, and durability:

1. Deflection refers to an exterior building’s cladding’s ability to deflect rain, ice, and snow that hits the outer wall surface. Designers can assist the cladding’s water deflection with overhangs and gutters. 
2. Drainage refers to cladding materials for buildings’ capacity to permit water that finds its way behind the outer surface to drain. Architects and builders can handle this with an application of a water-resistant barrier over the sheathing and a drainage gap between the sheathing and the cladding. However, stucco cladding, which can’t deal with large volumes of water, requires enhanced drainage that uses a drainage mat to increase the space between the WRB and cement membrane. The space allows more accessible water flow down and within the cladding.
3. Drying refers to a cladding system’s permeability or ability to allow ventilation within the system to encourage drying. Building codes typically require vapor-permeable exterior cladding, to allow moisture or condensation to pass through it as a vapor when warmed by the sun. Including open space at the base and top of the wall cladding will allow airflow and additional drying. 
4. The durability of a cladding refers to the system and its components’ ability to withstand continued and repeated exposure to ultraviolet rays, thermal expansion and contraction, and wetting-and-drying cycles. Durable cladding systems will help prevent leaks and protect the building envelope.

However, other vital features you should consider when selecting a high-performance cladding system include:

• Sufficient airtightness, continuous insulation, and control of thermal movement
• Fire resistance
• Low maintenance
• Ease of installation

5 Sto High-Performance Cladding Systems for Buildings

Sto offers various easy-to-install, high-performance cladding systems, that all meet the requirements for water deflection and drainage, the ability to dry out, airtightness, fire resistance, low maintenance, and the durability to last the lifetime of the building.

Our systems integrate all the wall components into one tested, code compliant system: air and moisture barrier, continuous thermal insulation, and numerous aesthetic facade surface options to accommodate all your design needs. You can combine multiple facades in a single system without transitions and product compatibility design challenges. 

Our tested systems also ensure that all components work together as mandated by today’s building codes. We cover all the features of our wall systems under a single system warranty.

1. StoVentec® Rainscreen Systems

Rainscreen claddings protect against the effects of moisture (especially vital with water-absorbing claddings) by providing a ventilation gap between the siding and air and moisture barrier. The small gap (as little as ½-inch) allows for proper drainage and drying.

StoVentec® Systems offer a complete, fully-tested, and code-approved high-performance ventilated Rainscreen® system that includes an air and moisture barrier, non combustible mineral wool insulation, an installer-friendly, adjustable sub-framing system, and our impressive StoVentec® Rainscreen® cladding. 

In the U.S., StoVentec® ventilated rainscreen cladding systems come in several finishes, in order to provide designers with a range of aesthetic choices to create distinctive building facades with highly engineered performance characteristics.

StoVentec® Masonry Veneer Facades

StoVentec® masonry veneer facades offer a drained and back-ventilated rainscreen wall system with aesthetic options of thin brick, masonry, and tile.

StoVentec® Glass

StoVentec® Glass provides an open joint, drained, and back-ventilated rainscreen wall system with an opaque glass facade, offering aesthetic choices of back-colored glass, frosted glass, and custom printed glass.

StoVentec® Render

StoVentec® Render is a drained and back-ventilated rainscreen wall system, offering aesthetic opinions of Sto textured finish, Stolit Lotusan self-cleaning textured finish, and StoCast, Sto’s prefabricated resin cast shapes.

2. StoPanel Systems Prefabricated Exterior Wall Panels

Sto’s prefabrication solution, Sto Panel Technology®, features finished exterior wall panels. The StoPanel® system panels consist of cold-formed metal framing and other applicable components, including continuous insulation (ci), glass mat sheathing, air and moisture barrier, sub-framing, and facade aesthetic.

Prefabrication provides several significant benefits:

• ݈Reduces delivery time and labor needs
• Helps to stay on budget
• Boost quality control and assurance
• Improves job site safety
• Reduces change orders
• Lessens construction wastes

StoPanel® Classic NExT ci

StoPanel® Classic NExT ci prefabricated wall panel includes steel framing, gypsum sheathing, and StoTherm® ci facade

StoPanel MVES

StoPanel® MVES prefabricated wall panel includes steel framing, gypsum sheathing, and Adhered Masonry Veneer (AMV) – thin brick, natural stone, ceramic tile, or cultured stone.. 

StoPanel® Mineral ci

StoPanel® Mineral ci prefabricated wall panels include steel framing, gypsum sheathing, and StoTherm® Mineral ci facade. 

StoPanel® Dri-Design®

StoPanel® Dri-Design® prefabricated wall panels include steel framing, gypsum sheathing, and Dri-Design® metal facade.

StoPanel® Swisspearl®

StoPanel® Swisspearl® prefabricated wall panels include steel framing, gypsum sheathing, and Swisspearl fiber cement facade.

StoPanel® Impact ci®

StoPanel® Impact ci® prefabricated wall panels include steel framing, gypsum sheathing, and StoTherm ci system, designed specifically for large and small missile impact performance.

StoPanel® 3DP Powered by Branch Technology

Working together, Sto Panel Technology® and Branch Technology created an exceptional 3-dimensional design for exterior walls. The prefabricated, panelized wall integrates the building envelope layers into a customizable 3D printed lightweight, robust, and easy-to-install composite shape. Branch’s unique Cellular Fabrication (C-Fab®) 3D printing process allows you to create a highly functional and unique architectural facade panel in virtually any shape or form.

StoPanel® XPS

StoPanel® XPS prefabricated wall panels include steel framing, gypsum sheathing, and StoTherm® ci facade that includes Extruded Polystyrene Foam Insulation 

StoPanel® Brick

StoPanel® Brick prefabricated wall panels include steel framing, gypsum sheathing, thin masonry veneers, or thin brick.

StoPanel® Precast

StoPanel® Precast prefabricated wall panel includes steel framing, gypsum sheathing, and a variety of integral decorative & protective finish options to replicate precast concrete. 

StoPanel® Metal

StoPanel® Metal prefabricated wall panels include steel framing, gypsum sheathing, and metal facade

StoPanel® Backup

StoPanel® Backup prefabricated wall panels include steel framing, gypsum sheathing, and air/moisture barrier. Builders apply facade on-site.

3. Drainable EIFS (Exterior Insulation Finishing System) – StoTherm® ci Wall Systems

StoTherm® ci cladding systems combine continuous insulation (ci), air/moisture barrier, drainage, and numerous aesthetic finish options to create a high-performance, sustainable wall cladding. The eye-catching and durable system maintains maximum curb appeal, and saves money through lower energy bills.

StoTherm ci MVES

StoTherm® ci MVES (masonry veneer engineered system) with masonry veneer in natural stone, ceramic tile, or manufactured stone which conforms to applicable building code requirements.

StoTherm® Mineral ci

The StoTherm® Mineral ci system incorporates non-combustible, mineral wool insulation and continuous air and moisture barrier with Sto’s high-performance finishes to produce an advanced high-performance wall cladding assembly. 

StoTherm® ci XPS

Durable, high-performance StoTherm® ci XPS incorporates high R-value extruded polystyrene insulation into the wall system and StoGuard® fluid-applied air and moisture barrier, creating an air and watertight wall ensuring thermal efficiency and excellent durability. 

StoTherm® ci

StoTherm® ci combines StoTherm® and the StoGuard® waterproof air barrier system for enhanced energy efficiency and protection against moisture intrusion. 

StoTherm® ci HI-LM CMU 180

High-performing, energy-efficient, and hurricane-resistant StoTherm® ci HI-LM CMU 180 provides a continuous insulation wall cladding that integrates StoGuard® waterproof air barrier and StoTherm® insulated cladding and drainage capabilities over concrete masonry unit substrates. The StoTherm® ci HI-LM CMU 180’s engineering meetsthe stringent Miami-Dade County, Florida NOA criteria for large and small missile impact resistance, air and water infiltration, and wind load resistance.

StoTherm® ci 1177-LM

High-performance StoTherm® ci 1177-LM exterior wall cladding system integrates a seamless air and moisture barrier with continuous insulation, advanced drainage capabilities, and Sto® Armor Mat XX Mesh for additional reinforcement and impact resistance over glass mat gypsum sheathing. The engineering of StoTherm® ci 1177-LM meets the stringent Miami-Dade County, Florida NOA testing criteria for large and small missile impact resistance, performance on 16-gauge steel studs with gypsum sheathing.

StoTherm® ci 1177-SM

High-performance StoTherm® ci 1177-SM exterior wall cladding system integrates a seamless air and moisture barrier with continuous insulation and advanced drainage capabilities over glass mat gypsum sheathing. The engineering of StoTherm® ci 1177-SM meets the stringent Miami-Dade County, Florida NOA criteria for small missile impact resistance, air and water infiltration, and wind load resistance.. 

StoTherm® ci HI-PLY

High-performance StoTherm® ci HI-PLY exterior wall cladding system integrates a seamless air and moisture barrier with continuous insulation and advanced drainage capabilities over CDX exterior plywood sheathing. The engineering of StoTherm® ci HI-Ply meets the the stringent Miami-Dade County, Florida NOA testing criteria for large and small missile impact resistance, air and water infiltration, and wind load resistance.

4. StoPowerwall® Stucco Systems

StoPowerwall® Stucco Systems provide fully-tested stucco systems with superior moisture management and comprehensive design options, ensuring low maintenance and durable claddings with all of the protection and energy efficiency of StoGuard®.

StoPowerwall® Stucco Systems combines protective and aesthetic elements into a superior wall cladding, including StoGuard® fluid-applied moisture and air barrier, StoPowerwall® Stucco, and Sto textured finishes and coatings that keep out moisture while furnishing many design options. Sto systems include the Sto DrainScreen drainage mat for added moisture protection and optional Crack Defense, an additional fortification layer for crack prevention. 

StoPowerwall® DrainScreen MVES

The StoPowerwall® DrainScreen MVES stucco wall system with thin brick, masonry, tile, or cultured stone veneer, includes the moisture protection of StoGuard® air and moisture barrier and Sto DrainScreen to reduce the risk of water accumulation. 

StoPowerwall® ci

StoPowerwall® ci energy-efficient stucco wall systems include continuous insulation of outbound extruded polystyrene (EPS).

StoPowerwall® DrainScreen

The StoPowerwall® DrainScreen Stucco wall assembly combines the durability and strength of traditional stucco with StoGuard moisture protection,Sto DrainScreen and Sto high-performance finishes; however, it does not include insulation. 

StoPowerwall® ExtraSeal®

The StoPowerwall® ExtraSeal® stucco wall system applies directly to CMU with Sto ExtraSeal air and moisture protection.

5. StoQuik® Silver Systems Cement Board Stucco

StoQuik® Silver Systems combines the strength of a cement board substrate with moisture protection of StoGuard air and moisture barrier, draining and drying of a drainage mat, and the versatile performance and design options of Sto’s textured finishes – without the moisture exposures, complicated installation, and labor steps of traditional stucco. 

StoQuik® Silver DrainScreen™MVES

The high-impact, weather-resistant StoQuik® Silver DrainScreen™ MVES cement board stucco system provides superior moisture protection with thin brick, natural stone, ceramic tile, or manufactured stone veneer for exterior vertical above-grade walls in residential, low-rise commercial, and institutional construction. 

StoQuik® Silver DrainScreen™

StoQuik® Silver DrainScreen™ is a durable, cement board stucco system that provides superior energy efficiency and improved water drainage.

Why Choose Sto’s High-Performance Cladding Systems?

Sto’s cladding systems have all the vital features that a high-performance system needs: moisture protection by deflecting, draining, and evaporating moisture on the outside and inside of the wall system, long-lasting durability, and energy efficiency.

Simple to install, time-saving Sto systems combine all the wall components into one unit: continuous insulation, air and moisture barrier, sub-framing system, and many aesthetic facade surface options to accommodate all your designs needs.

Learn more about engineered building enclosures today by downloading this comprehensive guide.

The post 5 Cladding Systems for High Performance Buildings appeared first on Sto Corp..

Tight Building Envelope Design

A high-performing building envelope design includes all the elements of a building’s outer shell (walls, roofing, foundations, windows, and doors), effectively controlling 

heat, air, and moisture and preventing rain intrusion. The envelope should also manage noise, solar radiation, airborne pollutants, and the spreading of fire and smoke. Furthermore, the building envelope system should ensure durability, structural strength, pleasing aesthetics, short- and long-term economic feasibility, and code compliance.

The 2021 commercial IECC section C402.5 dictates compliance of the thermal envelope of buildings in Sections C402.5.1 through C402.5.8., and the 2021 residential International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), Section R402.4 dictates that the building of thermal building envelopes will limit air leakage by the requirements of Sections R402.4.1 through R402.4.5.

Benefits of a High-Performing Building Envelope

High-performing building envelopes stop air leaks or drafts and moisture infiltration through an exterior wall by installing continuous air and moisture barrier to control the infiltration and accumulation of water. The benefits of high performing building envelopes include:

• Stops air infiltration through the wall, lessening energy use and costs
• Prevents moisture infiltration by stopping condensation in the wall system to resist structurally damaging mold and mildew 
• Manages air and moisture infiltration in a building’s wall system to reduce the risk of decay and corrosion and significantly reduce costly maintenance and repairs
• Contributes to superior indoor environmental quality (IEQ) by creating comfortable and mold-free buildings with controlled acoustics

7 Must-Haves for High-Performance Building Envelope Systems

Builders and architects aiming to construct high-performing building envelope systems should apply the whole-building system approach to create durable, energy- and cost-efficient, and healthy structures. The whole-building system approach encour­ages the entire construction project team to work together to achieve overall project goals for a tight building envelope.

The seven must-haves for designing a high-performing building envelope system should include thermal, air, vapor, water-shedding control layers, durability, and adequate roofing and glazing systems.

1. Thermal Control Layer

A tight building envelope requires continuous insulation (CI) over all building components without thermal bridges other than fasteners and service openings. CI controls thermal heat transfer, lessens condensation (eliminating unhealthy and structurally damaging mold), and minimizes temperature fluctuations. CI will reduce or eliminate thermal bridging in order to protect the insulation’s R-value.

Sto Rainscreen® Systems Provide Continuous Insulation

StoVentec® Rainscreen® Systems offers a complete solution in a fully-tested, code-approved high-performance back-ventilated Rainscreen® system. The easy-to-install glass rainscreen system provides thermally efficient and continuous insulation, to limit damaging condensation and reduce the cost of heating and air-conditioning.

At the same time, its structural frame enhances safety against fire and wind loads. StoVentec® Rainscreen® Systems provide an established facade that you can finish with traditional plaster,  masonry, or even glass cladding. Our extensive design flexibility offers many textures, shapes, colors, and material type choices to fit your aesthetic and architectural requirements.

2. Air Control Layer

A high-performance building envelope must prevent the transfer of air (and the moisture contained in) between the exterior and interior to regulate the indoor climate. An air barrier must also stand up to the air pressure differences acting on them by minimizing heat gains and losses through convection, conduction, and radiation. Air barriers stop air from  transporting moisture to the interior of a wall assembly, preventing condensation and the damaging effects of moisture accumulation.

Essential components of a high-quality air barrier include: 

• The stiffness and strength to resist forces acting on them during and after construction
• Structural integrity (durability) over the lifetime of the building
• Continuous over the entire building’s envelope
• Impermeable to airflow

StoGuard® Family of Air and Moisture Barriers

Like all Sto wall systems, the StoGuard® family of air and moisture barrier products offers the first line of protection against air leakage and moisture intrusion, which is critical to a high-performing building envelope. The StoGuard® System provides seamless control over moisture and air to improve building performance and occupant comfort. Our air and moisture barrier products include:

• Fluid-applied air and moisture barriers provide a seamless barrier to improve a building’s energy efficiency and resist moisture intrusion and condensation 
• Rough opening protection with a one-component fabric or mesh-based product solution designed for a superior, seamless rough opening protection
• A versatile transition membrane for detailing areas to provide flexible connections and continuity of the air barrier system
• Sheathing joint treatments featuring a one-component fabric or mesh-based product solution designed for seamless joint treatment and sheathing protection

3. Vapor Permeable Water-Restrictive Barrier

A vapor permeable water-resistive barrier (WRB) beneath the siding protects walls from snow, rain, and vapor. The WRB must also allow moisture that makes its way into the wall system from a structure’s interior to diffuse through the assembly and dry. In addition, WRBs often function as a building’s air barrier. 

Managing the flow of water through a building envelope and removing the moisture that inevitably makes its way into it, involves following three basic principles:

1. Deflect the water with properly installed cladding and a water-resistive barrier.
2. Drain the water away from the building envelope by installing drainage mats forming drainage cavities.
3. Provide a WRB with enough permeability so the system can quickly dry.

The optimum perm rating for a WRB stops water from entering the wall cavity and allows moisture vapor that does infiltrate to escape. Of concern, too high a perm will permit moisture from the outside to penetrate the wall system. In contrast, too low a perm will trap the moisture within the wall system. According to Joseph Lstiburek, founding principal of the Building Science Corporation, the ideal WRB perm for balancing the inward and outward moisture movement within the building envelope ranges between 10 and 20 perms. However, a designer should select the specific permeability of a WRB  based on climate and positioning within the wall assembly.

4. Water-Shedding Control Layer

Controlling rainwater penetration into a building envelope must consider the forces (gravity, wind pressure differences, and capillary action) that drive the water, and the building envelope system components needed to regulate and combat these forces. 

Features that control water include:

• Flashing systems
• A well-defined drainage path
• Horizontal and vertical plane changes
• A continuous watertight membrane

Building a cavity wall (drainage or screen wall) provides a concealed open air space and drainage plane.

Drainable EIFS StoTherm® ci Wall Systems Control Water Accumulation

Drainable EIFS StoTherm® ci Wall Systems combines drainage, continuous insulation (CI), and an air and moisture barrier to create a long-lasting, durable, and energy-efficient wall system, which will save money on utilities, repairs, and maintenance. In addition, sustainable StoTherm® ci wall systems also improve indoor comfort and air quality and are available in a wide variety of textured finish options to meet your aesthetic and architectural needs.

5. Durability

A building envelope’s durability and long-term performance depend on its resistance to mold, corrosion, freeze damage, and decay. Unfortunately, building envelopes can also fail due to poor workmanship, design flaws, material problems, etc. Therefore, selecting simple to install and durable products, like StoPanel® MVES ci, will help ensure the long-term performance of your building envelope components. 

StoPanel® MVES ci combines high strength masonry veneer (thin brick, natural stone, ceramic tile, or cultured stone), a continuous air/moisture barrier, and an engineered insulating wall system to provide a durable, air and weather-tight wall system with excellent thermal performance.

Cement Board Stucco

Quick and straightforward to install StoQuik® Silver Systems integrate several components into one system in order to create a high-impact, moisture-resistant exterior wall finish that expedites the delivery time and reduces labor costs compared to traditional stucco: 

• An air and moisture barrier to provide moisture protection
• A drainage mat to drain and dry 
• Cement board substrate for impact resistance 
• Versatile performance and design options of Sto’s textured finishes

Architectural Coatings

Sto’s advanced architectural vapor permeability low-VOC coatings offer fade- and mold resistance, crack bridging, and self-cleaning properties. All features ensure superior protection against outdoor elements, to improve the building’s performance and ensure your structure’s long-term aesthetics. Sto’s architectural coatings come in many textures, sheens, and colors that can be applied either horizontally or vertically.

Hurricane Impact Systems

Sto Hurricane Impact (HI) Systems offer high-impact protection for coastal construction prone to hurricanes and tropical storm winds, water intrusion, and wind-born debris – all of which can lead to building envelope failure. Our Sto HI systems meet the stringent Miami-Dade County, Florida NOA requirements for impact resistance, wind load resistance, and air and water infiltration.

6. The Roof of a High-Performing Building Envelope

A tight building envelope needs a cool roof and roofing insulation to protect the building against solar heat gain, and keep the house and attic space cool. Low thermal mass materials, like tiles, slate, or clay, reflect the sunlight, making them suitable for a cool roof. Cool roofs lessen energy bills, and improve indoor comfort. They can also extend the roof’s service life.

7. Adequate Glazing Systems

The design of a high-performing building envelope should include energy-efficient windows, skylights, and doors that are appropriate to the building’s climate zone. High-quality glazings provide natural light, warmth, and ventilation, to save both energy and money.

In addition, glazings should face south in the northern hemisphere to take advantage of the Sun’s energy in the winter months. Finally, limiting south-facing windows and installing shading devices can help prevent excessive heat gain during the hot summers or in warmer climates.

Choose Sto Corp.’s Systems for High-Performance Building Envelope Components

Fast and straightforward to install, Sto Systems offer architects, developers, and contractors with a tested and proven high-performance building envelope. In a single product, our wall systems deliver on all performance needs, saving time and money and reducing labor, complexity, and risk compared to systems that require piecing together numerous components from multiple sources.

Independent testing shows that Sto systems meet or surpass performance specifications for water infiltration and ventilation, impact resistance, wind load resistance, flame spread, accelerated weathering, and water resistance. In addition, StoVentec systems passed the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 285 test, a standard measurement for flammability characteristics of modern exterior wall systems.

For more detailed information on high-performance building envelope systems, download our extensive engineered building enclosure guide today.

The post High Performance Building Envelope Systems: 7 Must-Haves for Any Project appeared first on Sto Corp..

Considerations for Building a High-Performance Architectural Facades

A building’s facade architecture design impacts the building’s energy efficiency, durability, and the occupant’s experience. The facade you choose will affect your building costs, long-term maintenance, and utility expenses. 

We offer five considerations when building a high-performance architecture facade:

Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Facades

The facade’s design and how much you implement active and passive strategies will dramatically impact the energy use of your building. Architects can significantly lessen energy costs by utilizing sustainable facade strategies and materials, like those offered by Sto Corp. 

We commit to providing sustainable, safe, and healthy products and services, emphasizing long-term protection for our communities and planet.

Embodied Carbon

Choosing building products that reduce embodied and emitted carbon can reduce your building’s embodied energy by 80 percent. Fortunately, the engineering of Sto’s innovative wall systems reduces carbon emission through durability, energy efficiency, recycling, and the retrofitting of existing building stock as an aesthetic, economical, and energy-saving sustainable alternative to new facade construction.

Durability

A durable facade will maintain its integrity and aesthetics over time, by resisting wind, impact, fading, rain, snow, pollution, ice, hail, etc. A damaged or deteriorated facade can allow water to penetrate, which can lead to severe structural damage.

Acoustic Comfort

Background noise can significantly deteriorate one’s concentration ability and impact a business’s productivity. Facades that contribute to a building’s acoustic comfort by reducing exterior noise will improve the building’s work environment.

Impact on Daylight and Views

The windows of a building’s facade should add to the building’s beauty and also provide daylight and natural ventilation to the occupants. Workers with window views perform 10 to 25 percent better on memory and mental health tests and 6 to 12 percent quicker than employees in windowless rooms.

9 Unique Facade Construction Design Ideas

Interesting building facades represent an architect’s creative vision to give a building life, character, and personality. Sto Corp offers many products and systems to create sustainable, durable, inspiring, and thought-provoking wall envelope solutions with beautiful commercial building facade design.

1. Greenhouse Dispensary – Chicago

StoTherm® ci and computer modeling tools allowed architects to create this “of its time” design for the Greenhouse dispensary. The unique facade showcases fluid lines, giving the illusion of motion with flowing waves rising to meet at a center point, and framing a two-story wall of windows. An application of Stolit® Milano finish adds shine to the completed building.

StoTherm® ci

StoTherm® ci Wall Systems combine continuous insulation, drainage, moisture, and air barrier, to ensure a durable and energy-efficient wall system, to save money on utilities, repairs, and maintenance. In addition, sustainable StoTherm® ci Wall Systems improve air quality and indoor comfort. StoTherm® offers a wide variety of textured finish options to meet your aesthetic and architectural needs. 

Stolit® Milano 

Stolit® Milano is an easy-to-apply, ultra-smooth exterior or interior decorative and protective wall finish. In two to three coats, Stolit® Milano can achieve many decorative looks, from an industrial feel of ultra-smooth metal panels to a fine grit texture. Breathable Stolit® Milano resists structurally damaging and unhealthy mold. It can also provide additional abrasion protection when applied as a topcoat.

2. 207 W. 75th Street, New York City’s Upper West Side

The original elegant porcelain tile facade of this seven-story, seven-unit, residential building was replaced. Large voids had formed due to improper installation, allowing water to seep into the structure. The architect and builder agreed that applying a new facade, using StoTherm® ci with Stolit® Milano, provided the best solution for simulating the ultra-smooth finish of the porcelain tile, and could mimic the grout lines with precisely drawn trowel marks. Installation of the facade:

• First, they applied a layer of Sto Gold Coat®, fluid-applied air and moisture barrier over the original substrate and mortar. Sto designed vapor-permeable, fluid-applied Sto Gold Coat® for application under ci wall systems. 
• Next, a layer of StoTherm ci EPS rigid foam, intended for use in Sto ci Wall Systems, provided a smooth surface to apply the final finish. It also boosts the building’s energy efficiency.
• They applied the topcoat of Stolit Milano with a porcelain finish.
• To match the appearance of the original porcelain tile, they used a trowel to score the joints, in order to replicate the look of grout joints.

3. City Hyde Park, Chicago, Illinois

Architects designed the facade of the lower two-story retail portions of this Chicago residential midrise tower with a sophisticated tile mosaic that wraps around the building, interpreting the four seasons. Sto Panel Technology, Sto’s prefabricated exterior finished wall panels, proved to be an excellent choice to achieve the design vision of the project. The complex job required 20,660 ft² of StoPanel® Backup with mosaic tile, StoPanel® Classic ci, and StoPanel Metal ci. The design also included punched windows to give the tower facade an appearance of ribbon windows.

StoPanel® Classic ci

Lightweight and sustainable StoPanel® Classic ci provides an energy-efficient and durable prefabricated exterior wall panel with continuous exterior insulation, StoGuard waterproof air barrier, and multiple options for metal wall coverings. In addition, StoPanel® Metal ci provides compliance for a continuous air barrier and fire- and wind resistance. LEED eligible StoPanel® Classic ci complies with Energy Standards (ASHRAE 90.1) and Green Building Standards (ASHRAE 189.1).

In addition, versatile Sto finishes permit almost any design aesthetic on lightweight prefabricated StoPanel® Classic ci.

StoPanel® Backup

Energy-efficient and lightweight StoPanel Backup is a prefabricated exterior wall panel with an exterior continuous air and moisture barrier – it is the backbone of StoPanel Technology. StoPanel Backup consists of cold-formed steel, glass-mat-faced gypsum sheathing, and StoGuard air and moisture barrier.

StoGuard Air and Moisture Barrier

Fast and easy to install StoGuard®’s fluid-applied air and moisture barrier system forms a fully-adhered seamless monolithic moisture and air barrier on the exterior wall, to protect against air and moisture infiltration.

4. Cherese Mari Laulhere Children’s Village at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital

The architects designed the exterior envelope of this children’s hospital to reflect the theme of light, color, and energy. A few challenges included accommodating California seismic requirements, precise alignment of Dri-Design metal panel joints with EIFS reveals, and extensive wall penetrations. At the recommendation of a commercial wall systems contractor (Nevell Group), they decided on prefabricating the exterior walls with StoPanel Classic NExT ci and StoPanel Dri-Design. The panel’s design meets seismic needs, addresses visual alignments, delivers the textures and intense colors needed in the design theme and allowed for the project to meet the targeted open time. 

Lightweight, prefabricated StoPanel Classic NExT ci offers an energy-efficient and durable with continuous insulation, StoGuard waterproof air barrier, and the patented “Sto Wedge,” to provide drainage. In addition, StoPanel Classic NExT ci allows for a wide variety of Sto’s premium standard and specialty textured finishes.

Easy to install, the StoPanel Dri-Design® system provides a continuous air and moisture barrier, exterior insulation, and a fully customizable, endless design option.

5. Apex Entertainment Facility

The Apex project had two significant challenges: a quick timeline and environmental regulations.

While workers framed the Apex project, Atlanta Prefab manufactured off site 50,000 ft² of StoPanel® Classic ci panels for the Apex Entertainment Facility, allowing them to enclose the building in only six weeks. Furthermore, manufacturing of the panels offsite reduced the risk of airborne construction contaminants, which could potentially affect the adjacent wetlands.

6. Conductive Education Centre

To make young students feel at home when learning at school, RPM Architects designed the Conductive Education Centre with eye-catching, colorful interesting facades that beautifully incorporate a StoVentec® Glass Rainscreen® system. 

​​StoVentec Glass Rainscreen Cladding Systems

StoVentec® Glass Rainscreen® systems create facades that combine performance and durability with the beauty and allure of glass. They offer design flexibility, accommodating endless, and unique facades, with many textures, shapes, colors, and material types. In addition, easy-to-install glass rainscreen breathable systems provide thermally efficient insulation that lowers the cost of heating and air-conditioning, limits damaging condensation, and reduces heating and air-conditioning costs. At the same time, its structural frame enhances safety against fire and wind loads.

7. MP09 Black Panther, Graz, Austria

GSarchitects designed the mixed-use building with energy-efficient StoVentec® Glass: black glass panels that reflect their environment. As they rest on its bases with the spectacular protruding bow, it gives the appearance of a panther ready to pounce – giving it its name, Black Panther.

8. Palma Aquarium, Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Built-in 2007, the bent facade of the Palma Aquarium gives the impression of a living organism. Architects accomplished this with StoVentec® Glass Rainscreen®, which allowed for custom sizes of the sweeping design. In addition, the non-visible StoVentro™ Agraffe profile permitted the attachment of glass-colored panels to the rear side, to create a visual flow of color and curve.

9. Reston Town Center, Reston, Virginia USA

Duda Paine Architects chose StoVentec® Glass to create a bold, reflective, geometric ceiling to connect the towers of Reston Town Center. StoVentec® allowed contractors to use a single system from one manufacturer to construct a geometric structure on an exterior ceiling. Maintaining the flatness of the prisms required nearly 3000 ft² of StoVentec® Glass Panels attached to a marine-grade plywood substrate. One-hundred thirty-two glass panels of different sizes and finishes make up the three diamond-shaped prisms of the bridge.

The StoVentec components used for the Reston Town Center included the StoVentec Glass panel assembly, StoVentro Sub-construction, and StoTherm ci.

Choose Sto Products to Create Interesting Facade Architecture Design

Sto can help you achieve unique, interesting, and attainable architectural facades with our wide range of aesthetic possibilities and building envelope solutions. Our products also promote sustainability, durability, safety, and enhanced indoor environmental quality. 

Don’t hesitate to contact our facade professionals or explore more examples of unique architectural facades amongst our inspirational case studies!

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Sto Corp. is proud to be the manufacturing partner on six of the projects that received accolades for exemplary work showcasing exterior walls that are efficient, aesthetically flexible, and incredibly durable.

A digital recording of the awards ceremony can be found on EIMA’s YouTube channel.

2020 Hero of the Year Award
Long Beach Memorial Pediatric M.O.B.

Location:
2701 Atlantic Ave.
Long Beach, CA

Project Team:
Manufacturer: Sto Corp. / Sto Panel Technology
Contractor: Nevell Group, Inc. (A Sto Panel Technology Affiliate)
Distributor: FBM
Owner: Long Beach Medical Center
GC: Turner Construction
Architect: C-A Architects

Why this is a HERO hidden in plain sight:

The design team’s flexibility and openness for prefabrication made this project a great opportunity for EIFS. Panelizing the exterior cut the project skin schedule by 3 months and resulted in a 19-day dry in rather than the expected 120-day duration. Seven unique bright colors were used on the facade, which is very eye-catching. The juxtaposition of the shapes combined with the contrasting colors make this project a testament to the strength of EIFS.

Hero Award in the category of “Other”
Greenhouse

Location:
1000 Skokie Blvd
Skokie, IL

Project Team:
Manufacturer: Sto Corp.
Distributor: L&W Elk Grove, IL
Owner: Curaleaf
GC: Pacific Construction
Architect: Camburas & Theodore, Ltd

Why this is a HERO hidden in plain sight:

This project was originally built in 1956, and after several additions, needed an updated, more contemporary look. The fluid lines in the design give the illusion of motion, with flowing waves that converge at a center point, framing a two-story wall of windows. The use of EIFS as the cladding material, along with sophisticated computer-modeling tools, made execution of the design’s organic shapes possible. This project really showcases the endless design possibilities of EIFS.

Award of Merit in the category of “Mixed-use”
Peace Raleigh Apartments

Location:
417 West Peace St.
Raleigh, NC

Project Team:
Manufacturer: Sto Corp. 
Contractor: Premier Stucco (NC)
Distributor: Guaranteed Supply
GC: Clancy & Theys
Architect: Cline Design Associates

Why this is a HERO hidden in plain sight:

This project, with multiple types of claddings that blend well with the surrounding built environment, is an excellent example of using EIFS alongside metal panel and brick to obtain a modern, eclectic look.

Award of Merit in the category of “Residential”
Houston House

Location:
298 East 2nd Street
New York, NY

Project Team:
Manufacturer: Sto Corp.
Contractor: Imperiex Construction Inc
Distributor: Sto Eastern
Owner: Matthew Lee
Architect: Jeff Cole Architects

Why this is a HERO hidden in plain sight:

This 8-story building is in New York City’s trendy East Village neighborhood. The project team addressed both the practical and aesthetic issues it faced because of its location. With the use of EIFS as an exterior cladding, the project has a design evoking the aesthetic of metal panels that is stylish enough for its East Village residents, while at the same time addressing the traffic noise, cold winters and brutal summers of New York City.

Award of Merit in the category of “Residential”
Imperial

Location:
123-30 83rd Avenue
Kew Gardens, NY

Project Team:
Manufacturer: Sto Corp.
Contractor: Elite Wall Systems
Distributor: Sto of N.J. Inc.
Owner/Developer Realty: Operations Group
General Contractor: AWR Group Inc.
Architect: Chris Benedict

Why this is a HERO hidden in plain sight:

This renovation project is a complete exterior re-clad of a 7-story apartment building in Queens, New York. By covering the entire brick exterior with EIFS, the owner found a solution to the recurring maintenance issue of masonry repair. The project has a fresh look, and uses different sizes of EPS board to add depth and dimension to the once flat facade. This project really showcases the versatility of EIFS!

Honorable Mention in the category of “High-rise”
Gentry Buckhead Village

Location:
3172 Roswell Rd
Atlanta, GA

Project Team:
Manufacturer: Sto Corp.
Contractor: Johnson & Sons Plastering
Distributor: Capitol Materials Atlanta
Owner: LMC
GC: HOAR Construction
Architect: Preston Partnership

Why this is a HERO hidden in plain sight:

This is an excellent example of utilizing the energy efficient, high performance qualities of EIFS, and the unique aesthetics to suit the design intent of a project. The 21-story multi-family and mixed-use property sits in a densely populated area of Atlanta; a very busy and high traffic zone with minimal lay-down area.

The post Sto Corp nets six EIMA HERO Awards appeared first on Sto Corp..

Hilton Canopy Hotel in Tempe, Arizona, utilizes two tested and proven systems: StoPanel Classic NExT ci and StoPanel Dri-Design. Dri-Design metal panels were installed in a specific pattern that represented the notes of the Arizona State University fight song.

Producing construction products, like wall panels or 3D-printed building components, in a controlled environment allows for a standardization that is executed with efficiency when done repetitively as production time and waste is reduced while workflows are optimized. The principles of industrialization, much like in the manufacturing industry, are essentially applied to the construction industry.

Commercial, industrial and even residential applications can stand to benefit. Per Construction Business Owner,

New opportunities in the commercial sector are being explored. Asset classes, such as office and retail, are being added to the usual candidates of multifamily—hotels, mixed-use structures and hospitals—all of which have building components that can be standardized for replicated application. This doesn’t mean that all of the buildings have to look the same. The structural and foundational components of walls, floors, ceilings and roofs of the buildings can be constructed using industrialized methods while still allowing for customized finishes.

An approach to industrialized constructions can also include design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA). Per Designing Buildings,

By simplifying the design of a product, it is possible to manufacture and assemble it more efficiently, in the minimum time and at a lower cost. Traditionally, DfMA has been applied to sectors such as the design of automotive and consumer products, both of which need to efficiently produce high quality products in large numbers. More recently, construction contractors have begun to adopt DfMA for the off-site prefabrication of construction components such as concrete floor slabs, structural columns and beams, and so on.

Data and technology can play a huge role, which is where the borrowing ideas from the manufacturing industry come to a halt. This means a different approach to traditional thinking, shifting to a digital mindset. Per Autodesk,

Data is key to this kind of transformation. Each member of the team, from designer through builder to owner, needs to be able to see and use a common data set for the project. That makes BIM essential. “Nowadays with BIM we’re able to have a much more controlled grasp of what’s going into our buildings and get the level of detail that you need to deliver a building as a manufactured product,” [Brandon] Ionata [of StrucSoft Solutions] says.

With some sectors facing tighter timelines, and the ever-present need for more affordable housing, building in a sustainable manner that can keep up with demand can benefit from industrialized construction. With enhanced safety and less on-site activity required, the current need for social distancing is also more easily met.

The post What is industrialized construction? appeared first on Sto Corp..

The need for short-term housing immediately arises when disaster strikes. More temporary housing like tent structures may be needed immediately, but long-term needs where electricity and plumbing must go into buildings that are more permanent, must be taken into account. Often, this type of housing is in place for several years, or even permanently, as emergency resources funnel across competing infrastructure priorities.

Shipping containers are an intriguing option where building on site may not be feasible. Speed of construction and cost savings have influenced their popularity. The containers can be modified with the additions of cladding, roofs and balconies, but of course these items come with added cost. The practice has its detractors. Per The Guardian,

Mark Hogan, principal architect at San Francisco-based practice OpenScope, thinks devoting shipping containers to housing “doesn’t make any sense”. That’s mainly because cost savings begin to disappear as soon as you start playing around with containers’ basic structure, try to meld units together, or do anything fancy with stacking arrangements.

Prefabricated structures that can be built off-site and shipped either fully assembled or in pieces offer another alternative. They can be customized for specific needs of the area and are an effective tool for both housing and other disaster relief. Per ArchDaily,

The main advantage of prefabricated prototypes is the lack of time and labor required to assemble them, allowing for the quick delivery of aid those in need of emergency shelter. As it is a temporary structure and can be dismantled and transported, it has no impact on the land and can be reused when needed. Most importantly, these designs are generic and flexible, allowing them to adapt to any geography and climate. In this way, the expansion and modification of modules is also easy to execute.

Prefabricated housing has also been a solution for urgent homelessness crises. With construction prices rising, and worker shortages increasing, prefab housing is a lower-cost alternative for cash-strapped governments. With reduction in building materials, construction waste and potential rework factored in, cities like San Francisco and Seattle have committed to prefab housing as an attractive solution.

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