Blueprint for Success

Joe Ciserano’s task was as simple as it was daunting: Transform a drab, 32-year-old precast concrete office building into the leasing envy of Long Island.

Ciserano of AIA is an architect with H2M architects + engineers, an acclaimed regional firm specializing in commercial and infrastructure design and civil engineering projects. Their client, Fairfield Properties, recently acquired a three-story, 180,000 square foot single-tenant office building in Melville, N.Y. The developer asked H2M to revitalize the property, with the aim of reasserting its A-class rating and generating the kind of curbside stopping-power that would enable it to aggressively compete with flashy peers. 

A full-scale renovation was out of the question, as the 14-inch precast exterior was part of the building’s structural integrity. “The building was old and outdated. The owner purchased it with the idea of attracting new tenancy,” Ciserano explains. “The precast concrete panels were actually part of the wall system. So stripping the concrete exterior wasn’t a consideration.”

But a metal panel wall system definitely was. “The owner had success with metal panel systems in other properties. They like the clean, sleek modern aesthetic. What’s more, the panels could assemble right over the precast. They considered CENTRIA and a competitor. They chose the CENTRIA Intercept Entyre panel system.”

Curved and Flat

The Intercept Entyre modular metal panel system offers architects, owners, structural engineers, and installers a continuous engagement flange and concealed fasteners for the sequentially installed modular panels. Project planners specified over 22,000 square feet of aluminum Intercept panels in a smooth finish.

Key to the new exterior aesthetic is a unique blend of curved and flat panels. The curved and flat aesthetics along with exceptional panel sizes transformed the building’s aesthetic. The metal panels even serve as column covers, completing a continuous metal aesthetic. All told, the project incorporates over 22,000 square feet of metallic Intercept panels in the building envelope.

New Look, New Experience

The new-look exterior was just part of the building makeover. Fairfield Properties updated inside and out. The building entrance was dramatized with granite and a glass curtain wall. Other amenities include new landscaping, granite walkways, a half-mile walking trail, granite-and-wood interior finishes, and a 6,000 square foot fitness center.

“It looks totally different,” concludes Ciserano. “It’s on a very busy commercial thoroughfare. The building looks great from the street.” 

That appraisal is also shared by two other audiences—the owner and tenants. Ciserano says the owner is pleased with the outcome. But that verdict may also be biased by the best possible reaction they could hope for from savvy Long Island tenants:

“The building is fully leased with a couple of large tenants,” Ciserano says.