Wave panel serves as facade for training, strength facility in South Carolina

Gaffney High School in Gaffney, S.C., wanted a new training and strength facility adjacent to its stadium that represented the rich football tradition at the school. The 8,000 square foot building was sided with McElroy Metal ribbed metal panels coated in the school’s color.

“It’s a free-standing building, built adjacent to the football stadium,” says Ron Smith, Managing Principal, McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture of Spartanburg, S.C. “It had to have some elements that enhanced the athletic department and the stadium. We were on a bit of a tight budget, so we wanted a cost-effective functional facility.”

Smith’s firm also worked on the design of the school’s $8 million football stadium, completed in 2008. The new Gaffney High School Training and Strength Facility definitely meets the needs of a 17-time state championship football program that graduated several players that moved on to play in the National Football League.

McElroy Metal’s Wave Panel was installed vertically on the metal building in two Sherwin-Williams Fluropon PVDF colors – Surrey Beige (7,000 square feet of 22-gauge) and Matte Black (200 square feet of 24-gauge). The Wave Panel is a 16-inch concealed fastener wall panel with 3/4-inch-deep ribs, designed to be installed horizontally or vertically over a solid substrate or sub-framing to provide clean, visually appealing lines for both new construction and retrofit projects.
“We really liked the looks of the vertical element,” Smith says. “It gives it a little bit of its own design look. Metal was the cost-effective choice that provided durability and helped the project be completed on time.”

Pickens Contracting Inc. of Greer, S.C., was charged with installing furring and insulation to the walls before putting up the wall panels. Pickens also installed the trim around the windows, which was a custom color, Gaffney Gold.

One unique detail, according to Robert Pickens, Project Manager for Pickens Contracting, was the black accent band around the building. “We made those in our sheet metal shop to overlay the wall panels, so that there would be no break or stop/start condition in the McElroy panels,” Pickens explained. “This eliminated the need for painting and kept finishes on the wall panels.
“We had zero issues with the panel installation. McElroy, the architect and general contractor were a pleasure to work with. This project went smoothly and we enjoyed working with this excellent project team.”