GreenHeck AP

Summarize the project's program, features, and achievements: Greenheck AP’s building was built in two phases to serve as their East Coast manufacturing facility for Air Products. The overall building consisted of 131,398 sf on the main level with two mezzanines totaling 7,519 sf. The tallest panels measure 41’ from finish floor elevation. At the main entrance to the building we carved away a courtyard within the overall footprint that serves not only as the main entrance, but it also serves as the amenity space for all of the plant and office workers. These tilt panels have both punched window openings, as well as ribbed form liner which brings texture to these wall panels. This building demonstrates the latest tilt-up concrete technology and capabilities with a strong reveal design, integrated form liner accents, ACM wrapped canopies and louvered sunshades with vertical fins. Within the canopy soffits we introduced stained wood with integrated LED lighting, which helps further the campus nature of this building. Due to its overall length and width, the architectural language demonstrates relief through varying panel heights, panel overlaps, and reveal forms and the hierarchy of the paint pattern. As the third building of GreenHeck Corporations eastern campus, the building design evokes a sense of place through the panel design and branded corporate color scheme. This building completed construction within 10 months despite the construction shortages, COVID-19 pandemic, and complexity of design.

What obstacles were overcome related to the schedule, budget, program, specification, site, etc. on this project? This building was a complex machine designed for the interior manufacturing and distribution of air products. Due to it’s interior programming for a state of the art paint line system, and a SRS material handling system with precision tolerances (that was only introduced 4 months prior to completion). Additionally this project was delivered during an unseasonably wet winter, a worldwide pandemic, with an out-of-town client who had to contend with travel restrictions to reach the jobsite. Design wise, the building went through multiple re-permitting and budgeting exercises because of the multitude of construction shortages at the time (roofing materials, paint, etc…).

Please communicate any engineering complexities or unique features of the panel design for this project. ? While this was a build to suit project, the idea was to provide maximum long term flexibility for the end user, in order to accommodate future unknown needs. This was accomplished through numerous future knock-outs in the tilt wall panels on all sides, From an engineering perspective the challenges for the project were coordinating the tilt panel design, which included cantilevers with the mixture of materials at the entrances of steel, light gauge, concrete, and architectural finishes. There were also additional design considerations for 2nd floor offices, interior equipment mezzanines, and overhead cranes. Due to the complexity of the main entry with the long spanning glazing/ spandrel panels, varying planes of tilt walls, and multiple materials, the architectural and engineering team worked together to achieve the desired sleek look successfully without losing the integrity of the initial design.

What is the potential for this project's impact on the community and/or environment? This building is the third facility within GreenHeck’s East coast campus in Shelby, North Carolina. It construction helps define the campus ‘place making’ in conjunction with the employee amenities. As part of GreenHeck’s initiative, each building needs to promote a warm and welcoming corporate culture. It was imperative to them that there be large windows on the first floor so that the manufacturing process would be visible from the exterior. This allows workers in various buildings to grab a glimpse of their fellow workers and to further promote a cohesive culture.