Lumberton Centre
Water Management Never Looked So Good
For most people, the idea of water management doesn’t bring to mind images of excitement or style. Lumberton Municipal Utility District (MUD) however, is doing their best to change that with their vibrant and colourful new Operations Centre. Opening in 1973, Lumberton MUD has steadily grown the reach of its water provisions and waste-water services to more than 24,000 residents in Lumberton, TX. With an accompanying increase in administrative staff, the company decided to reach out to Long Architects to design an expansion building that focused on both compelling visuals and eco-friendly features.
To achieve a blend of modern aesthetic and sustainable performance, Long Architects implemented an innovative system that harvests rainwater from the Operations Centre’s roof and recycles it to irrigate the surrounding land of the building. Additionally, the interior lighting system continuously adjusts according to the amount of sunlight that enters through special glass panels. To boost the facility’s energy savings beyond the interior features, the architects also selected metal panels to adorn the Centre’s exterior.
Selected for both sleek design and functional durability, 12,247 square-feet of CENTRIA Concept Series Concealed Fastener Panels CS-200 and 5,272 square-feet of CENTRIA IW Series Concealed Fastener Panels IW-14A with MicroSeam Corners were commissioned to enhance the building’s façade. The Concept Series panels allow for a versatile appearance on any project — for the Lumberton MUD, they pair seamlessly with the IW Series to create one cohesive design.
The metal wall panels were also ornamented with a diverse palette of Sherwin-Williams Fluropon® coatings in Deep Blue Sea, Arabian Blue, Slate Blue, Fashion Grey and Chromium Grey. This aquatic-inspired design both echoes Lumberton MUD’s expertise on water management, and provides a bold visual statement for the company’s main centre of operation. Transitioning left-to-right from light grey to dark blue, the aesthetic quality of Sherwin-Williams Fluropon coating perfectly captures the gradient mosaic theme the designers hoped to bring to life.
An industry-leading architectural coating, This coil coating contains 70 percent PVDF resins, and is a durable two-coat system that also offers outstanding colour retention and consistency to ensure the building will hold its dynamic blue exterior. Opening in 2014, the new Lumberton Municipal Utility District Operation Centre reached the owner’s goals for being stylish and environmentally friendly, thanks in part to CENTRIA and Sherwin-Williams.
Lumberton Municipal Utility District Operations Centre, http://www.lumbertonmud.com/index.htm
Project Credits:
- Architects: Long Architecture Beaumont, TX
- General contractor: Allco Construction Beaumont, TX
- Metal panel manufacturer: CENTRIA Moon Township, PA
- Metal panel installer: SLM Construction Services; Cypress, TX
- Coatings provider: Sherwin-Williams Coil Coatings
- Photo credit: HKS, Inc. / Blake Marvin