Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber Inc., Grand Rapids, Mich., designed the 50,000-square-foot Great Lakes Research Center at Michigan Tech University, Houghton, Mich., with metal to integrate energy efficiency, stormwater management and shoreline ecosystem protection practices. The university wanted to showcase low-impact building and landscape design, and the center, completed June 2012, was built to LEED Silver standards.

Dealer and installer Architectural Metals Inc., Portland, Mich., used 12,370 square feet of Moon Township, Pa.-based CENTRIA’s 22/26-gauge Formawall Dimension Series 3-inch Horizontal IMV metal wall panels in Silversmith with an embossed finish and Sundance Mica coating; 3,695 square feet of 22/26 gauge Formawall Dimension Series 3-inch Horizontal IMV metal wall panels in Deep Sea Blue with an embossed finish and Fluorofinish coating; 771 square feet of 22/26-gauge Formawall Dimension Series 3-inch T Horizontal metal wall panels in Medium Gray with an embossed finish and Sundance Mica coating. Additionally, the project utilizes Formawall Formavue 600 Windows; 11,470 square feet of 22-gauge Profile Series Concept Series 200 metal wall panels in Medium Gray with a smooth finish and Sundance Mica coating; 1,097 square feet of 22-gauge Profile Series Concept Series 260 metal wall panels in Medium Gray with a smooth finish and Sundance Mica coating; and 9,972 square feet of 29-gauge MetalWrap 3-inch Horizontal metal wall panels with a smooth finish. Granger Construction Co., Lansing, Mich., was the general contractor.

The four-story Michigan Tech Great Lakes Research Center has 15,000 square feet of laboratory space and classrooms intended for biological, chemical, and physical research and education, several conference rooms, a 100-seat auditorium, high-tech data center, boat house, marina and public spaces for visitors. Additionally, the Center for Science and Environmental Outreach is used by K-12 students and teachers and for community outreach.