GKD Metal Fabric Panels Used To Enrich Doral Parking Facade

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.

Zyscovich Architects, a Miami firm, was tasked with incorporating the multi-story parking/office building into the overall structure of the park, creating a contemporary structure with an open feel. The urban sensibility of the project relied on the integration of the various qualities and uses of the new built environment. After the design of the structure was finalized, Zysovich Architects chose GKD’s Omega metal mesh fabric to be used in conjunction with other exterior materials. The stainless steel fabric worked to conceal the supporting structures with its metallic shimmer.

The Parking Garage at Park Square at Doral had specific challenges. It had to withstand the elements and provide protection from inclement weather including hurricanes, while also providing natural ventilation. GKD’s stainless steel fabric can withstand wind speeds of up to 146 mph, making it ideal for hurricane-prone areas.

An additional consideration was maintenance, as buildings in Florida are exposed to extreme weather conditions and maintaining the exterior of the building could prove to be costly. The stainless steel properties of the metal mesh mean that maintenance is almost non-existent and cleaning requires no harsh chemicals, making it an environmentally sound choice. Another consideration was the products ability to provide shade to the building where needed. Here again, metal mesh proved to be the right material. GKD’s metal mesh provides sunshading while at the same time allowing natural ventilation and air flow through the structure which reduces the building’s energy needs.

Once the choice of material was approved, the architects worked with GKD to create a facade for the building that would provide everything needed mechanically and structurally, but one that would also be visually arresting. Using the Omega line of woven metal fabric, GKD manufactured 140 panels.  These panels were placed in a way that mimicked a chess board pattern. The challenge in putting the ‘board’ together was the precision with which each panel had to be arranged. The result is a shimmering 26,000 square foot structure with a structural metal mesh facade that creates almost three dimensional effects.