Scaife Hall is home to the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine, a nationally ranked recipient of National Institutes of Health research funding. The building includes Falk Library, Pitt’s medical library, classrooms, lecture halls, laboratories, and a mechanical penthouse.

With a goal to modernize the outdated classrooms, the University of Pittsburgh set out to renovate and expand the existing building to enhance teacher and student spaces.

The geometry of the existing building presented a challenge to ensure that the addition seamlessly integrated with the existing building. CENTRIA met the challenge. The architect specified CENTRIA to primarily enclose the conditioned mechanical penthouse and minimize wall assembly. CENTRIA’s façade solution also delivered effective installation and superior insulation value.

“Insulation was a critical component in selection of materials since the mechanical penthouse needed to be conditioned”, said Nikolas Pappastratis, senior associate at Payette. “Since this was an addition, we needed not only a product with superior insulation capabilities, but also a product that could integrate into the existing structure.”

Easy Integration, Superior Insulation

Crews installed CENTRIA’s Formawall Dimension Series in Chromium Grey. Formawall insulated metal panels offer a modern, monolithic appearance to a building façade. By consolidating six wall components into one product, Formawall creates distinct architectural wall profiles to match any building design. Formawall panels integrate with windows and louver system to complete the high-performance building envelope system. High insulation values of the panels significantly reduce energy consumption for heating, cooling, and lighting. Formawall Dimension Series is available in three thicknesses, delivering R-values between R-16 and R-24.1.

The project team also specified Versawall H+ in Chromium Grey. Versawall H+ offers a non-embossed horizontal insulated metal panel in a flat profile spanning with lengths up to 37”. A factory-applied panel joint sealant combined with a field-applied sealant, creates an air and vapor barrier to provide superior weather resistance.      

Super-Rib was specified in Champagne Metallic due to the strength of the panel, allowing for longer spans and reduction in the number of supports. As an exposed fastener wall panel, Super-Rib may be installed in a variety of rainscreen applications to form a complete wall system.  The ribbed profile of the panel also adds a unique design element to a building’s exterior.

Renovation Ready

Early phases of construction began on Scaife Hall in early 2020 and were completed in early 2023.