Just a horse and buggy ride away from one of the oldest towns in the United States stands a dynamic, innovative and colorful new hotel—Tru by Hilton. The Tru franchise, which has a strong focus on millennials, recently opened its doors in East Lancaster, Pa. Tru hotels feature contemporary architecture that provides high tech areas to work, play and socialize. With multi-colored rooms and amenities, Hilton’s newest hotel chain is designed to appeal to travelers with a zest for life and a desire for human connection.

A Systems Approach

There is a lot to consider when designing and constructing a modern building enclosure. Heat, air and moisture need to be managed. Local building codes must be met. Noncombustible construction requires assembly testing to validate fire performance. Architectural details must be code compliant and consistent with fire testing. The design itself needs to be constructible. All of this must occur while being on budget and providing an appearance that is fresh and attractive.

By specifying a Senergy Channeled Adhesive CI Design system and trusting BASF with code compliance, building science and architectural details, the Newcomer and Associates architectural firm was able to focus on the colors, textures and effects that brought the vibrant Tru by Hilton project to life.

Simple and Effective

Senergy CI Design is an adhesively fastened continuous insulation system that manages air and water with a Senershield fluid-applied air/water-resistive barrier. It reliably moves the dew point outside of the drainage plane. The benefit to Springwood Hospitality, the building owner, is a great looking building that has excellent thermal performance and durability.

Multiple cladding appearances are visually interesting but can be challenging from a constructability point of view. This was not an issue on Tru by Hilton at Lancaster East, because it used CI Design for the entire building. Only the finishes needed to change to create various appearances. The air/water-resistive barrier remained monolithic and unbroken, and continuous exterior insulation was installed without thermal bridges.

Subcontractor coordination was easy, because R&R Plaster & Drywall from Harrisburg, Pa., did the entire project. The result is a visually impressive building that performs well too.

The aesthetics of the project have multiple elegant design elements. The architect employed reveals cuts into the insulation to articulate the project. These create subtle breaks in the overall architecture which delicately highlight light, shade and shadow. At the base, an effect of a granite plinth is achieved by detailing the BASF Alumina Finish with these reveals. At various vertical setbacks and protruding geometries, the effect delineated bright, colorful alternating panels surfaced with BASF Chroma Finishes. These bright, high performance colors integrate advanced technology for superior fade resistance.

Through thoughtful design, Newcomer Associates created the dynamic, youthful aesthetic expected from Hilton within the project budget. The project was so successful that the owner has another Tru by Hilton project under construction in York, Pa. It is slated to open in the summer 2018. It will provide refreshing accommodations for millennial travelers and eye candy for those who still travel by horse and buggy.