AV Metro
Raleigh, N.C.
Cannon Architects

A fabulous prefab structure is two faced

© J West Productions

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Designed for an audio/visual production company, this modestly sized office and storage building is located at the end of a cul-de-sac of small office and retail buildings. In an effort to save construction time and cost, the structural frame and roof of the building are pre-engineered components and the two principal facades are grafted into the system. Standard siding was used on the back two sides invisible to the public. In essence, the design is about two public faces that form the entry and act as a backdrop for the interior environment.

The design concept accepts the box-like structure and addresses the textural potential of the exterior skin. This articulation is achieved through two profiles of painted steel siding, subdivided into 15-foot bays and developed around a 30-foot structural bay. Kalwall, Windowall, clear and colored glass, and roll-up doors with both clear and translucent lexan panels make up the skin. The white exterior specified by the owner offers an opportunity to explore the many textures and variations of white. Similarly, the simple interior volume and the sealed concrete floor are backdrops for designed objects that define functional areas within. These include a conference room, offices, workstations, work tables, storage, and staging. The placement of these elements produces a three-dimensional layering similar in materiality to the two-dimensional textured facade of the exterior. The interior elements adopt the same palette of painted steel, clear and white lexan panels, stainless steel, and natural maple. Custom-designed furniture for the president’s office and the worktables are balanced against Eames and Saarinen furniture.

Formal name of building:
AV Metro

Location:
Raleigh, N.C.

Gross square footage:
5,000 sf

Owner:
Frank Thompson

Architect's firm:
Cannon Architects
401-135 N. West Street
Raleigh, NC 27603