About fifty years ago, DuPont invented a surfacing material called Corian® . In the early years it was primarily marketed as the newest durable material for residential kitchen countertops and then for vanity tops and shower pans. Since then, applications for solid surface have expanded to include vertical surfaces as well. Design Professionals, Manufacturers and Fabricators have pushed for vertical wall cladding solutions to expand solid surface’s use beyond “typical horizontal countertops.”
Building Owners with high traffic corridors had only a few choices for durable wall protection solutions in the early years before solid surface. Design Professionals were limited to recommending materials such as vinyl wallcovering, marble, granite, concrete and plastic laminate. The shortcomings of these materials were many ranging from cracking and delaminating to requiring total replacement when damaged.
It was not until the late 1990’s that vertical solid surface wall cladding started to become popular. ASST and other leading fabricators and manufacturers helped to push applications beyond the horizontal countertop. ASST created SCULPTCOR® Textured Surfaces in the early 2000’s to provide better design solutions for interior as well as exterior cladding. Architects and Interior Designers have helped to continue to push applications. Technological advances in CNC machining and thermoforming have also helped solid surface wall cladding move to more mainstream applications such as airports and other high traffic public spaces. Today, solid surface wall cladding is widely utilized by Design Professionals across a variety of end user markets from K-12 and Collegiate Education to Corporate Space and Healthcare environments.
ASST is uniquely positioned to fulfill all aspects of your project. Whatever you need, ASST can build it to the exact specifications you require in a safe manner and to the finest quality standards you expect. We look forward to Going Beyond™ to address your exciting project challenges. Contact us now online or call us at 717-630-1251.
Architects, Designers and General Contractors need solid surface subcontractor resources that are willing to develop the finer technical details of a project. Time spent “upfront” by a qualified subcontractor addressing these issues can contribute to the overall success of a project.
Construction schedules today have become tighter in our innovation and technology focused world. Design Professionals are challenged to find the time necessary to develop project design details. Communication slowdowns from Architect RFIs contribute to schedule delays resulting in headaches for the General Contractor. Focused on the “bigger picture” of running a project, General Contractors are then squeezed to find solutions to keep their projects moving.
ASST is proactive in our approach to providing the necessary design assistance and addressing the details of fabricating. ASST was asked to assist with the development of a large clear resin panel media wall for the Chevy Chase Pavilion. Working closely with Bethesda–based architect Streetsense, ASST arrived at a design solution for a custom bracket and aluminum joint system to connect the resin panels across the face of a media wall. A mock-up was created for the Owner with the LED lighting modules to test the distance required from the face of the resin. This was a critical dimension. Too close or too far and the projected images would be distorted. The Chevy Chase Pavilion project was an amazing success and an example of the kind of collaborative design assistance we perform here at ASST. It is our mission to ASsiST!
ASST is uniquely positioned to fulfill all aspects of your project. Whatever you need, ASST can build it to the exact specifications you require in a safe manner and to the finest quality standards you expect. We look forward to Going Beyond™ to address your exciting project challenges. Contact us now online or call us at 717-630-1251.
Bathroom facilities in historic dormitory buildings are typically in need of renovation because of code violations and outdated fixtures. Harvard’s Old Quincy (pictured here) was recently renewed to match today’s standards and needs by the Philadelphia Architectural firm Kieran Timberlake. Renovating to preserve the historic character of a building while providing a higher performance design with more function and storage continues to be popular with Design Professionals on college campuses.
With bathrooms, a moist environment is tricky for creating a functional design. Anything wood will swell and eventually deteriorate. Early dormitory buildings like Old Quincy historically utilized polished marble for bathroom areas which would easily stain and eventually crack and spall. Any type of storage in bathroom areas was also not a priority back in 1930 when Old Quincy was first built.
A solution to this problem is not only utilizing solid surface for the vanity tops and shower areas but also for built-in storage as well. Kieran Timberlake designed the renovations to Quincy Hall and ASST was selected to fabricate the custom white solid surface storage bins in the bathrooms. Used for student toiletry items, holes drilled through the door faces are used as a finger pull. Students will likely find the new bathroom storage and overall improved “Old Quincy” a welcome place to call home on the Crimson campus.
ASST is uniquely positioned to fulfill all aspects of your project. Whatever you need, ASST can build it to the exact specifications you require in a safe manner and to the finest quality standards you expect. We look forward to Going Beyond™ to address your exciting project challenges. Contact us now online or call us at 717-630-1251.
