There is a design opportunity with parking structures that not many seize. The Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center parking garage in Phoenix is an example of how to design beyond function with Dri-Design Perforated and Perforated Imaging Panels. The panels meet air circulation requirements while making an inviting, patriotic statement with the image of soldiers on the panels.

“Once it was decided that the ideal garage location would be in an area highly visible from a busy street, the design team approached the client with the idea of using a perforated imaging screen to wrap the garage. This would create a billboard-scale art piece to celebrate veterans and thank them for their service,” says Heather Castro, an architect with Cunningham Group Architecture Inc., Phoenix.

Gen 3 AZ LLC, Tempe, Ariz., installed 28,800 square feet of 0.0800-inch aluminum panels with both a Cloud Cover and Clear Anodized finish. Cunningham Group designers created several image options for the panels, and the VA selected the silhouettes of soldiers. Perforated metal panels allow air to flow through structures, making them ideal for parking garages. The panels also are frequently installed to provide shade. Dri-Design can perforate panels into virtually any shape and pattern for various applications.

“The perforated metal allowed us to wrap the structure in a lightweight material that provides air movement and an opportunity for a custom image design,” Castro says.