Top architecture awards for two Vector Foiltec projects
Two projects using Vector Foiltec’s transparent Texlon® ETFE roof and facade system have been recognised with The United States’ highest public award for new architecture.
The Mo Ostin Basketball Center and the U.S. Bank Stadium have both been honoured with a 2018 American Architecture Award by The Chicago Athenaeum. Vector Foiltec is proud of its involvement in these projects and offers congratulations to all involved.
Named after legendary music industry executive, philanthropist, and Bruins alumnist Morris “Mo” Ostin, the Mo Ostin Basketball Center at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) opened on schedule in October 2017. The venue offers training areas, practice gyms and locker rooms for both the men’s and women’s UCLA Bruins basketball programs, as well as other athletic programs.
In addition to the state of the art amenities that the new facility features, it is trending with the latest technology in stadium design. The Texlon® ETFE material that is incorporated into the design, creates a perfect atmosphere with controlled amounts of the healthy Southern California sunlight. Each basketball court has north facing ETFE skylights that bring in ample, glare-free, natural light. Acoustic comfort is another major factor created through the foil material, making this a go-to place for athletes on campus.
By creating a separate facility from where actual games are played, the overall experience for players and coaches is improved. There is less of a time crunch, allowing for more flexibility with both academics and athletics for the student athletes.
The building also houses the Kevin Love Athletic Performance Center, which is raised over the main entrance. It has its own ETFE skylights and includes separate offices for the athletic performance staffs of the men’s and women’s basketball teams.
The US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis is the new home of the Minnesota Vikings and hosted Super Bowl LII in February 2018. It was the first completed stadium in North America to use ETFE technology. With 60% of the roof using Vector Foiltec’s transparent Texlon® ETFE system, sunlight comes in, but fans are protected from snow, rain, cold and heat.
The superb construction is the largest ETFE roof in North America, spanning 22,000 m² (240,000 square feet). Vector Foiltec collaborated with a talented team of architects to help engineer a roof that could withstand harsh winter conditions, while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing roof design. Some of the individual Texlon® ETFE panels are over 110m long, resulting in a significant reduction in the weight of the supporting structure.
In November 2017, U.S. Bank Stadium received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification. Vector Foiltec’s Texlon ETFE system is part of the strategy to reduce the ecological footprint. The weight of the steel roof structure is less due to implementation of ETFE, and the adjusted transparency of the technology will allow for less artificial lighting, while helping control solar heat gain.
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Vector Foiltec
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Email: gb@vector-foiltec.com
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