All across America, there’s a growing stock of aging mid-century and late 20th-century buildings. They’re old. Some are ugly, and most are inefficient. They’re dinosaurs, really. What to do about all these dinosaurs from a different era is the question. All too often, the answer is to knock them down and rebuild. But is that the best solution?
Maybe not.
While most of these buildings have outlived their useful lives and underperform in virtually every area – energy efficiency, aesthetically, building codes – the bones are usually solid. And that presents the opportunity for another solution: recladding.
The Benefits of Recladding
When you have an older structure, there are pressures from all sides to renovate. The regulatory bodies want it to be brought up to current code. Management wants higher energy standards. Tenants and the community want a more modern aesthetic. Fortunately, recladding can modernize even the oldest dinosaur, enhancing sustainability, lowering costs, and improving performance. Let’s explore each of these benefits a little further.
Sustainability
Obviously, sustainability is a priority whether it’s a renovation or a rebuild. And believe it or not, it is possible to turn an antiquated structure into a sustainable one. In fact, that is one of recladding’s strengths. Here are a few other sustainability benefits of recladding:
- Extends the life of existing building stock
- Avoids embodied carbon from demolition debris and new materials
- Supports climate goals with improved envelope performance
Cost Efficiency
Cost is always an important factor and can, at times, be the determining factor. The cost to demolish and rebuild is not cheap. By choosing to reclad, you can realize there is the potential for some significant cost efficiencies, including:
- Lower upfront costs compared to full rebuild
- Faster schedules minimize revenue loss for occupied buildings
- Reduced permitting and disruption
Design and Performance
One might believe that only rebuilding gives architects and designers the freedom to create a one-of-a-kind marvel of modern science. But you don’t have to rebuild to achieve design freedom. Recladding delivers the ability to:
- Completely transform aesthetics
- Upgrade thermal and moisture performance with modern rainscreen and ci systems
- Improve tenant comfort, acoustic control, and property value
As you can see, recladding offers several benefits and may even prove cost-effective in the long term. Let’s talk recladding specifics by reviewing Sto’s proven recladding solutions.
Sto Recladding Solutions: Proof Positive
Sto is the innovative world leader in building envelope solutions, including wall cladding systems, air barriers, coatings, and restoration systems. Among these innovative solutions are many that can you transform those dinosaurs we’ve been talking about. Let’s begin with StoVentec® Rainscreen Systems.
StoVentec® Rainscreen Systems – Ideal for overclad retrofits, these advanced systems are complete, with all the system components – including the air and water-resistive barrier, thermal insulation, sub-construction, and façade panel – engineered to perform together. The StoVentro sub-construction is an integral component of the StoVentec systems. It’s adjustable to accommodate uneven substrates and absorbs both the wind load and dead loads present on the façade. The StoVentec Rainscreen Systems are available in a variety of colors, shapes, textures, and materials, including glass and fiber cement, all in a single-source system backed by a 10-year system warranty.
The StoTherm® ci Mineral system is the first decorative and protective exterior wall cladding in the U.S. designed around the performance and advantages of mineral wool. Not only does mineral wool provide advanced acoustic dampening and limits thermal conductivity, but it can also withstand temperatures of 2000 degrees Fahrenheit while still resisting fire.
StoTherm® ci Systems – For energy upgrades, Sto offers StoTherm® ci Systems, an EIFS with Drainage continuous insulation wall system. These systems are comprised of a high-performance, energy-efficient wall cladding that integrates StoGuard® air and water-resistive barrier, GPS, EPS, XPS or mineral wool insulation, and drainage. The nearly limitless aesthetic appearances that can be achieved using Sto textured finishes, Sto Specialty Finishes, or StoCast Brick or Wood custom prefabricated shapes allow for complete design freedom.
Sto offers a few other solutions to aid in your reclad project as well. These include:
- Cladding versatility – Sto’s systemized approach allows for you to select the system most appropriate for your project. Choices of cladding include StoTherm ci systems, StoVentec Rainscreen systems or one of Sto’s other engineered and tested systems.
- Variety of aesthetic options – The vast range of materials, finishes, and design options, include fiber cement, glass, traditional textured finishes, finishes that mimic stone, concrete, metal, masonry veneer, or Sto’s lightweight, custom resin-cast shapes, StoCast Brick and StoCast Wood.
- StoPanel® Systems – Offering a wide range of aesthetics and finishes to meet your design vision without compromise, StoPanel® Systems save time with pre-assembled panels ready to install on-site, reducing labor, material waste, and weather-related delays.
- The A.R.T. of reStore® – For complete facade renewal strategies (aesthetics, repair, transformation), Sto’s reStore program has a program level specific to your restoration needs, offering a single source for materials and services to meet all your maintenance and restoration requirements.
You’ve heard the benefits. You’ve learned a little about our recladding solutions. Now, it’s time to show you what these systems are truly capable of by sharing some of our most recent case studies.
Sounds Compelling, Looks Incredible: Recladding Transformations
The two featured projects below could have easily been total rebuilds. But the owners discovered that they could achieve all their sustainability, performance and design goals with the help of Sto.
Cafesjian Art Trust
Location: Shoreview, MN
Building Type: Entertainment and Cultural
Construction Type: Renovation
A renowned Minnesota businessman and philanthropist, Gerald Cafesjian established the Cafesjian Art Trust to share his collection of modern art with the public. When the trust prepared for a change of address, they realized that the building was well past its prime. Instead of a total rebuild, they opted to reclad and upgrade the facade to better reflect the museum’s mission and artwork.
StoVentec Glass enabled architects to create a customized, visually compelling building facade that could be installed over the existing ribbed concrete and brick exterior walls. The non-combustible continuous exterior insulation and continuous air and water-resistive barrier with StoVentro™ sub-construction produces an advanced high-performance wall assembly. Additionally, the architect’s vision of a brilliant, colorful building exterior was brought to life with varying shades of blue StoVentec Glass.
To read the entire case study and see project photos, visit https://www.stocorp.com/sto_project_gallery/cafesjian-art-trust/.
The Heritage
Location: New York, NY
Building Type: Multi-Family
Construction Type: Renovation
Rising 35 stories above Fifth Avenue and overlooking Central Park, The Heritage is part of the Empire Building Challenge, an innovative partnership between the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the private sector, setting out to demonstrate the feasibility of retrofitting tall buildings to comply with low-carbon standards.
To answer the Empire Building Challenge and bring these iconic residential towers into the age of efficiency, the architectural firm employed StoTherm ci, the benefits of which went beyond the great looks and exceptional efficiency. According to King Contracting president Brett Steinberg. “StoTherm ci was the most cost-efficient option for the developer, as metal panels would be almost double the cost, and to rip the facade off and redo it with a brick veneer would be almost triple.”
The result has been a success for everyone involved. The building owner was able to retrofit its aging property, bringing it up to and beyond modern efficiency standards, and the residents now enjoy lower utility costs and a more comfortable living environment.
To read the entire case study and see project photos, visit https://www.stocorp.com/sto_project_gallery/the-heritage/.
Decision Point: Reclad or Demolish?
So, when should you reclad versus demolish and rebuild? It’s the million-dollar question. There are certain scenarios where recladding provides clear advantages. A few examples of these scenarios are:
- Structurally sound buildings needing envelope performance upgrades
- Projects constrained by budget or schedule
- Sites with historic or community value worth preserving
- Desire to minimize disruption to building occupants (tenants, patients, etc.)
Recladding: A Sustainable Path Forward
It may seem easier to just wipe out an old building and start over. But a complete rebuild is expensive and can lead to an extended out-of-use time. Our innovative recladding solutions can transform those old dinosaurs into a modern structure in virtually every sense of the term. Increased sustainability. Lower long-term cost. And enhanced energy-efficiency and performance. Recladding offers all these benefits and more. And Sto is the perfect partner with proven reclad solutions that align with climate goals, code compliance, and design aspirations.
On that next renovation project, consider Sto recladding solutions instead of a full demo and rebuild. To learn more about Sto’s recladding solutions or to discuss your project with our specialists, contact us at 800-221-2397 or via the website.
