“Like many institutional projects, the new Dining Hall Expansion needed to be up and running by the start of the upcoming school year,” said project architect Benjamin Mullings, of Jason Boyer Architects. “We were operating within a 10-month design-through-construction timetable, so the only way we could complete this job in that amount of time was with a design-build delivery method. We needed a product that would not require a long lead time, offered design flexibility and could meet our tight budget requirements.”

The project is a 10,000 square-foot addition and 2,000 square-foot renovation to the existing Student Union building at Northern Arizona University. JBA selected wall panel products from Morin’s new Matrix Series, an integrated concealed fastener wall panel system with four unique interchangeable profiles that offer the flexibility to be perforated.

“Architecturally, we were attracted to the Matrix Series availability of profiles and panel modularity,” Mullings said. “The system allowed us to create a variform façade with ease."

Mullings specified all four profiles of MORIN Matrix Series panels for this project.

“The Matrix series panels offer architects the ability to create strong features,” says Brad Neal, CSI, regional sales manager for MORIN. “With the four profiles, it provides designers the opportunity to produce a variety of patterns and shadow lines, both vertically and horizontally."

“The profiles ribs are more bold than other wall panels that have been on the market for some time. There are projects which have creatively featured the same panels in different colors, lengths, perforations and directions. I have seen projects where by using two or three or all four variations of the Matrix series a basket-weave appearance was created on a wall. It’s real popular now to perforate it and create colorful outdoor stairwell walls and window screens. It’s a very attractive and versatile product.”

Approximately 4,000 square-feet of 24-gauge Matrix Series panels were installed on the dining hall, as well as another 2,400 square-feet of perforated 22-gauge Matrix Series panels. MORIN also provided 1,620 square-feet of its 24-gauge smooth W-12 panels and 500 square-feet of 24-gauge 36-inch flatstock, both in 24-gauge Medium Gray Metallic, as well as 24-gauge 48-inch flatstock in Silversmith. Kinney Construction of Flagstaff, Ariz., served as the general contractor on the project, while Gen3 AZ LLC of Tempe, Ariz., installed the MORIN panels before the start of the Fall 2013 semester.

“These were the first panels MORIN produced off their machine on the west coast,” said Herb Sunderhaus, project manager for Gen3 AZ. “We were able to meet the deadline and all reports are that everything looks great.”