Tacoma Public Utilities Admin Building

Tacoma, WA

Housing more than 325 employees, the new administration building connects to the original building, built in 1953, by a sky bridge. Touted as a model of energy efficiency, the new building allows ample daylight to enter. It uses an energy management system that is capable of showing energy use by floor. Lighting the new addition requires half the energy required to light the original building.

Completed in July 2008, the 110,000-square foot (10,219-m2) building is clad in a variety of products from CENTRIA that integrate together aesthetically and functionally. CENTRIA supplied 20,346 square feet (1,890 m2) of 22/26-gauge, 2- and 3-inch (51- and 76-mm) horizontal and vertical Formawall Dimension Series panels in Light Gray with an embossed Duracast coating; 11,470 square feet (1,066 m2) of 22/26-gauge, 3-inch horizontal Formawall Dimension Series panels in Dove Gray with a smooth Duragard finish; 9,788 square feet (909 m2) of 22/26-gauge, 3-inch horizontal Formawall Dimension Series panels in Slate Gray with a smooth Duragard coating; 2,452 square feet (228 m2) of 22-gauge, vertical Profile Series IW-10A in Dove Gray with a smooth Duragard finish; 1,959 square feet (182 m2) of 22/26-gauge Versawall in Light Gray with an embossed striated Duragard coating; C/S sunshades; C/S louvers; and Formavue 300 windows.

The Formawall Dimension Series, Versawall and IW Series panels are all Cradle to Cradle Silver certified products. The Formawall panels gave the building team the design flexibility they desired with the required performance. The varying gray tones of the horizontal and vertical panels create a modern-looking building, while the Duracast textured coating gives the look and feel of precast with the benefits of a foam-insulated metal composite wall system. The Versawall panels are made from recycled content and use less material than traditional multicomponent wall systems, making it an environmentally friendly product for the building, while the matching Dove Gray IW Series panels give the building’s exterior an interesting visual effect. The sunshades, louvers and Formavue window systems are designed to easily integrate with the Formawall Dimension Series panels, eliminating the problem of coordinating window and metal panel intersections.

  • Market Segment

    Offices & Banks

  • Architect Name

    BCRA, Inc.

  • Dealer

    Crown Corr Inc.

  • Installer

    Crown Corr, Inc.

  • Contractor

    Leo Finnegan Construction Co

  • LEED Certification

    None