Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Phoenix
People: Architect, Ehrlich Architects, Culver City, Ariz.; builder, SUNDT Construction, Tempe, Ariz.; installer, Gen3 AZ, Tempe.
Products: Louisville, Ky.–based Metal Sales’ T23 panels feature a 3-inch vertical rib, which gives the building’s envelope an eye-catching texture in a tri-color pattern of colonial red, terra-cotta, and copper penny modeled from the campus’ desert surroundings. The panels are situated to reflect the FCC’s Radio Frequency Spectrum Allocation chart, which plots nationwide wireless communication allotment for outlets like cell phones, Wi-Fi, broadcast television, and radio, thus appropriately emulating the facility’s purpose. This form-meets-function approach is further achieved by a section of the building that supports a row of satellite dishes and is clad in horizontally ribbed Metal Sales T13-A panels in metallic silver.
Fine Points: The 223,000-square-foot, six-story facility is home to offices, retail space, restaurants, media-equipped classrooms, computer labs, and professional newsrooms. The building also houses one of the country’s largest PBS stations, KAET Channel Eight. The exterior metal façade harmonizes with its urban Phoenix environment. Metal was chosen for this impressive building both for its high percentage of recycled content, as well as for its capacity to be applied quickly, efficiently, and economically. The building earned LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.