GKD-USA, the leading manufacturer of woven metal fabrics, has been awarded a patent for its Illumesh® Illuminated Metal Fabric product. Illumesh® works by allowing system-integrated LED lighting to project light onto the reflective metal mesh surface creating a brilliant projection. The span of illumination can be controlled by the angling of the LEDs, which can be focused on a specific area or blanket the entire façade. Illumesh® is now protected under patent 7,513,644 B2. more...

For the new Mark Jefferson Science Complex, Eastern Michigan University and architectural firm Lord Aeck & Sargent found an ideal solar management solution in GKD metal fabrics. Providing an environmentally sustainable solution, GKD collaborated with the design team at Ann Arbor-based architecture firm to develop and engineer a series of sunshades for the façade of the building. This solar management solution shields the building from direct sun while providing enough daylight for students and staff to utilize the building with less energy usage and reduced environmental impact. more...

The recently opened Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts has not only revitalized the region it serves, but has dramatically changed the Kansas City, Missouri skyline. With its sweeping façade clad in stainless steel, glass and pre-cast concrete enveloping an impressive 285,000 square feet of space, the scope of the project is only matched by its design prowess. Helmed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie, the Kauffman Center is as practical as it is expressive, designed as a model of functionality, accessibility and sustainability. However, as a $386 million investment in the future of the arts, the facility is only as good as the acoustical principles of its concert halls. It is in one of those halls where GKD-USA metal fabric plays a starring role. more...

Madrid is on the threshold of heaven. This is what the inhabitants of the Spanish capital say when describing their city so rich in culture, art and atmosphere. The completion of one of the largest construction projects in Madrid’s history underlines the heavenly reputation of this metropolis. Free from the noise and smell of the busy city highway, which was completely banished underground, both banks of the Rio Manzanares were transformed into picturesque parks and promenades. more...

GKD-USA has named K. Peterson Associates as its new sales representative firm for the New England territory. This territory covers Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut (with the exception of Fairfield County). more...

The City of Miami Beach, in partnership with the New World Symphony, commissioned Gehry Partners LLP, a Los Angeles-based architecture firm established by renowned architect Frank Gehry, to design and build the Pennsylvania Avenue Parking Garage. The project is part of a campus that includes a new home for the New World Symphony America’s Orchestral Academy with a 700-seat concert hall also designed by Gehry’s office. The City of Miami Beach is building a new city park in front of the New World Symphony building to complete the campus. The parking structure prominently features GKD-USA’s Helix 12 woven metal mesh panels as the primary exterior facade element. The mesh façade is lit in the evening by LED lights for a dramatic visual effect. more...

Located next to the International Airport of Miami, Park Square at Doral is one of the first views passengers have upon arrival in Miami. A suburb of Miami, Park Square at Doral is situated on the site of a former logistics warehouse. Fifty percent of the property was allocated for mixed-use and high density building and the other fifty percent for a new townhouse community and major park. The Park Square at Doral development is a focal point of this bustling community of 30,000 and provides well-needed additional parking plus office space. more...

Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia is a study in conservative Protestant history. From the outside, the red brick Tudor Revival buildings reflect their historical surroundings while the interiors reflect growth, change and development. The Presbyterian institution has been redefining and transforming some of its buildings, looking to the future and another century of service. more...

The design of GKD-USA, Inc. corporate headquarters in rural Cambridge, MD was the result of an atypical collaboration between client and architect. While the construction of the new facility was precipitated by growth and the need for an additional workspace, the simplicity of design and use of the company’s own product resulted in a showcase of woven metal fabrics. more...

One of the New York City’s most forgettable buildings has been transformed into a model of modern technology. The Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT), located in midtown Manhattan between 40th and 42nd street, now boast the world’s largest transparent media façade, effectively covering the building’s outdated steel façade. more...

Parking garages are typically seen as no-frills, mundane structures that can sometimes border on eyesores. With basic, tilt-up concrete as the primary building component, there is not much room for creative expression or opportunities for unique architecture. Additionally, the function of parking garages – housing a steady stream of noxious-gas emitting vehicles – mandates that these structures remain as open as possible for ventilation. If an architect wants to be more creative in what the structure looks like and includes an exterior façade, mechanical ventilation is required. This adds operating cost and increased energy usage to the clients bottom line. more...

As builders and architects continue to discover innovative ways to increase energy efficiency in new and existing buildings, they are turning more and more to daylighting as a viable solution for their projects. more...

Metal fabric pays in dividends when it comes to cladding materials because of its virtually indestructible properties. But more and more, architects are discovering the opportunities presented by this versatile material in its ability to control a building’s absorption of the sun – solar shading. more...

Visually arresting, virtually indestructible and rich in versatility. Woven metal fabric has come of age as a solution for new construction and retrofit projects that require all of the above in one product. Long known as an excellent choice for cladding building exteriors, woven metal fabric is now being seen as the architects’ choice for innovative design solutions for a variety of applications. more...

By combining the design versatility of fabric with the strength and sustainability of stainless steel, GKD offers the ultimate building product ideal for a wide range of applications. AIA 2011 is your opportunity to see, touch and experience GKD metal mesh up close and personal. more...

In the ever-growing multitude of “green” building products available in today’s market, one material that doesn’t always come straight to mind is stainless steel. But this often overlooked material holds a wealth of sustainability benefits that grow tenfold when applied and bolstered by technology such as woven metal mesh. GKD-USA has harnessed the inherent sustainability characteristics of stainless steel, using the material as a medium for creating striking, LEED-worthy building exteriors. more...

When the NBA’s Miami HEAT Group decided to create a marquee on the exterior of its American Airlines Arena, the franchise wanted something that would not only draw attention to the arena itself, but also transform downtown Miami. Made from 3,400 square feet of a high-grade architectural woven stainless steel mesh fabric with interwoven LED profiles, Miami’s Mediamesh® screen, patented by GKD and ag4, provides visitors to the Arena with unobstructed viewing from the interior and visually engaging digital media content on the exterior. more...