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Delaware Water Gap

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System: LandscapeInteriors
Attachment Method: Tableau® (walls), Panel (counter)
Metal Fabric Pattern: Bead

Project: Pennsylvania Welcome Center at Delware Water Gap
Location: Monroe County, PA
Architect: Maria C. Romanach Architects-Philadelphia, PA
Facility Owner: State of Pennsylvania-Dept. General Services
Facility End Use: Welcome/Visitor Center
Completion Date: June 2006
Rennovation or New Construction: New Construction

Project Details:

A Cambridge Architectural Space Sculpting mesh system provides an attractive backdrop and durable adornment for the interior reception area at the new 12,700 square-foot Pennsylvania Welcome Center at Delaware Water Gap in Monroe County, PA.

The $9.9 million Welcome Center features environmentally friendly, green-design initiatives designed to cut operating costs and reduce energy costs by up to 15 percent. The facility opened to the public Memorial Day weekend 2006, and serves travelers on Interstate 80 as they enter Pennsylvania from New Jersey.

The design includes sustainable products, rooftop gardens, geothermal heating and ample windows for day lighting, which all contributed to the project’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. “The design might surprise you,” says David Merriman, Cambridge’s manager, marketing and business development, about the sleek modern facility set amidst the rolling woodlands of Eastern Pennsylvania. “But the facility contains many green building elements, including a Cambridge Architectural mesh system, which is very lightweight and requires less structural support, reducing the cost of materials and labor.” The Cambridge Architectural Space Sculpting mesh system was created with Bead metal fabric and both Tableau and Panel attachment hardware. The Bead metal fabric pattern was fixed to a feature wall behind the reception desk using Tableau and Panel attachment hardware, made into panels hung on the desk itself. Space Sculpting mesh systems by Cambridge Architectural define space within open interior or exterior areas, and the rigid metal fabric selected performs exceedingly well in high-traffic areas - like the lobby at the Welcome Center, which sees thousands of visitors each day. Metal fabric patterns and attachment hardware are also recyclable and can be made from recycled materials. Replacing a one-room Welcome Center built in 1956, the new facility offers the usual restrooms and vending machines, but also traveling services such as personalized travel counseling, assistance with directions and plenty of information on accommodations and the state’s natural, scenic and historic attractions. The Delaware Water Gap is a mountain pass cut through the Appalachian Mountains between New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The surrounding 70,000 acres of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is a popular destination for fishing, canoeing, rock climbing, hiking and all types of outdoor activities. The PA Welcome Center at Delaware Water Gap was designed by Maria C. Romanach Architects, Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania Department of General Services managed construction of the facility. The Bead metal fabric pattern features rigid, open weaves that are often used in stair rail systems and grillwork. Cambridge’s modified Tableau tension attachment hardware was used to install the Bead product on the feature wall. An elegant wrap for rigid open weaves, the metal fabric folds around the corner of an angle frame for a concealed attachment.

Cambridge’s modified Panel attachment hardware was used to install the Bead product on the counter. The metal fabric is first attached to a substrate such as MDF, and Z-clips join the panels to the substructure.

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