Materials

1. Roof Exterior- Clad in Aluminum Paneling– Najah R.

a. Research

Aluminum panels performs well as a metal roofing material as it has a much longer lifespan, better environmental sustainability, better strength and a lower long-term cost.

Pros
- Aluminum panel is extremely resistant to corrosion caused by seawater.
- Rust resistant
- Can last up to 50 years or more
- Easy to work with onsite, reducing labor costs for installation
- Aluminum is usually the lightest metal used for roofing
- Its strength-to-weight ratio is among the highest of the “common” metals used in airplane air frames
- Aluminum is very malleable (the ability to be hammered or pressed permanently out of shape without breaking or cracking), allowing it be configured into more complex profiles
- It naturally reflect light and emit heat
Cons
- Depending on the amount of aluminum roofing needed can run up to 20% higher in price compared to other metal roofing (very costly)
- Stores very little heat and becomes cool quickly once it stops receiving direct sunlight because the lightness and thinness of the material
- Doesn’t have a Class A fire-rating but the system can achieve a Class A rating with the proper underlayment and sheathing.

b. Images

c. Details

Metal Roofing System and Metal Roof Cladding

2. Roof Interior- Maple Veneer: The maple veneer is in the interior, it softens many of the other surface cladding. –Najah R.

a. Research

Veneer is a very thin slice of wood which is obtained from a tree log

Pros
- Maple veneer is affordable and ultra-durable. It is not as expensive as other woods such as oak, cherry or mahogany.
- It is flexible and look great for years, pretty durable.
- Maple trees are extremely slow growing. Since a veneer layer may be as thin as 1/32 of an inch, one log produces a large amount of veneered wood. Making veneer instead of sawing these trees into solid lumber means far fewer trees need to be harvested to keep up with the demand for these slow-to-renew resources.
Cons
- If maple is not properly sealed first, the staining can look blotchy.

b. Images

c. Details

3. Glazed Glass Curtain Wall: which stretches four stories and cantilevers out from the main body of the library to dominate the front façade – Nayaab Z.

a. Research

Pros-
- Shatterproof
- Lighter weight than glass
- More optically pure than glass (no green tint)
- Excellent thermal insulator
Cons-
- Scratches easily
- Will attract dust due to its static electric properties (though this can be combated with the right acrylic glazing cleaner)
- Susceptible to bowing since it’s not as stiff as glass
- More expensive than standard glass glazing