Context

Southern New Hampshire is one of the fastest-growing universities in the United States. To reinforce the notion of a 21st century institution, the design of its new College of Engineering, Technology and Aeronautics (CETA) needed to be ground-breaking.

The architecture studio Wilson HGA, selected by Skanska construction group, oversaw the design.

Requirement

“The look of slate was something we really liked, so we started out by looking for it via online searching”, said Christianne Peschard, Project Manager of the firm. Following initial research, they chose CUPACLAD 101 Random as the perfect product to fit the design brief.

Solution

CUPACLAD natural slate rainscreen cladding system is ideal for the New England weather, where summers are warm and winters are freezing.

Christianne added: "The overall design pays homage to the surrounding New Hampshire architecture. We wanted a vernacular look, so we looked at old covered bridges to get inspiration for the building’s roofing."

CUPACLAD can be selected from a variety of systems. For this project, the dynamism created by the different sizes of the Random range of slates offered the most suitable choice. Vertical, floor-to-ceiling windows and its wooden frames create the complement in texture, colour and materials.

Installation

CUPACLAD has been designed to guarantee an easy installation, even in the most difficult circumstances. According to Barry Hamilton, Operations Manager of T.J. McCartney, Inc. the firm which installed the slate rainscreen system: “This was our first time working with CUPACLAD. We were anticipating quite a bit of labour and time when mounting these slate materials. But to our surprise, that was not the case at all. Installation directions and drawings were accurate and perfect. Easy to read, easy to follow. We did not need to purchase any special tools to install the system."

Outcome

The rainscreen cladding systems are one of the main features of the new architecture because of its energy efficiency. CUPACLAD is already a popular solution in Europe and it’s starting to cross the ocean. “Due to its performance, ‘look’ and surprisingly affordable pricing, we have been very successful with CUPACLAD systems already”, explains Matt Berk, co-owner of EcoSupply Center, the specifier on this project.

“The new CETA building continues SNHU’s trend of innovative improvements to our higher education system. In all my years here, I think I am most excited about this building; what it represents and the possibilities it opens up for our students and faculty”, assures Patricia A. Lynott, president of SNHU’s university college.

Life at the campus has never been the same after the construction of this impressive building. The future of cutting-edge engineering research is safe behind the beautiful walls of CUPACLAD.

Testimonial

“We would definitely recommend and not hesitate to work with CUPACLAD again, especially due to its ease of installation." Barry Hamilton, Operations Manager of T.J. McCartney, Inc.