Design Adds Modern, High-Tech Look to
Essex County College
NEW
YORK, May 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Essex County College in New Jersey turned to Bendheim to
custom-engineer an 8,000 square foot rainscreen for a new building
on its West Caldwell, N.J. campus,
bringing a dramatic, high-tech aesthetic transformation to the
inner-city school.
The Bendheim glass rainscreen system creates a barrier envelope
around the building, effectively protecting it from moisture. The
"shingled" rainscreen system of clear laminated glass covers the
finished façade. The precision-engineered system stops over 90
percent of wind-driven moisture and is fully adjustable, allowing
for quick and easy installation. Bendheim collaborated with Netta
Architects to design and hide the rainscreen's structural brackets
behind the fiber cement cladding. The Wall H system was attached
directly to the exterior stud wall, eliminating the need for
continuous structural steel support and thereby reducing the cost
of the installation.
Essex CC, a two-year college, opened
in 1968 and enrolls about 5,500 students. The new building is a
51,700 square foot, four-story structure that sits on the site of
the original campus, a converted, century-old elementary school.
The elementary school was razed in 2021 to allow for construction
of the new building. "The new state-of-the-art campus is our
fulfillment of our vision of transforming lives,'' ECC President
Dr. Augustin A. Boyake said.
Rainscreens are exterior wall cladding barrier systems that
stand away from a building's exterior weather-resistant constructed
facade. Rainscreens protect the building façade from water
infiltration, controlling water drainage and evaporation. The
elegant glass over-cladding completely transforms and elevates the
appearance of a building as it provides a maintenance-friendly,
durable, non-porous glass surface.
"Decorative glass rainscreen systems are an ideal means of
increasing a building's longevity with an easily maintained
facade,'' Bendheim President Donald
Jayson said. "Glass is one of the most durable building
materials to stand up to rain and wind. Water is the biggest factor
in the premature deterioration of buildings."
The Wall-H system is ideal for second-skin facades featuring
horizontally overlapping glass panels. The mechanical compression
glass fittings provide increased strength and security, and
individual glass panels can be replaced without deglazing
surrounding panels.
The new building contains administrative offices, classrooms,
labs, an auditorium/lecture hall and an admission center.
John Johnston, project designer for
Netta Architects, said the new campus consists "of a lot of glass
and openness, driven by technology and a modern Information
Commons. It will be a place where students want to come and stay.
It will be a pinnacle to this County for years to come."
DMD Contracting constructed the building and Glass Systems,
Inc., of Hillsborough, N.J.
installed the rainscreen.
Bendheim's systems allow water to escape and air to circulate,
reducing the risk of mold, mildew and water damage. Any small
amount of water making its way past the glass is drained and
channeled away from the building. Any water vapor is ventilated out
the top of the system as air circulates upward between the
rainscreen and the exterior building wall.
Bendheim rainscreens have been fully tested in accordance with
ASTM & AAMA requirements and proven to be highly effective
against water penetration.
For more information about Bendheim rainscreens, visit
https://bendheim.com/enhanced-rainscreen-technology/
Pictures are available at this link:
https://app.box.com/s/ifx2kzi3ops41ng1i4oysvljcfj76l0u
Photo credit: Bendheim
About Bendheim:
Bendheim is one of the world's foremost resources for specialty
architectural glass. Founded in New York
City in 1927, the family-owned company offers a virtually
unlimited range of customizable glass solutions for interior and
exterior building applications. Through its commitment to Building
a Clear Future, Bendheim is actively engaged in promoting
sustainable practices in architecture and design.
Bendheim develops, fabricates, and distributes its products
worldwide. The company maintains production facilities in
New Jersey and a design lab in
New York City. For additional
information, please visit Bendheim.com.
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SOURCE Bendheim