hey know it’s coming every time
hurricane coverage begins: footage of a piece of metal being
precariously hurled by Mother
Nature through the streets of a
beach town.
Members of the Metal Construction Association see that
scenario through their own lens.
They know that metal panel is
video-worthy because it’s still
intact. Everything else is being
shredded. It’s not the metal
panel, but likely the installation that was inadequate.
And when winds have calmed, the panel will still be
around, ready for rebirth through recycling.
MCA knows those few seconds of public perception
have to be countered with education and marketing
about the realities and major benefits of using metal
in today’s construction climate. They’ve found a way to
do just that, through “heavy hitters” whose names you
won’t find on any hurricane roll call.
It’s called The Metal Initiative, and the program is
credited with contributing to double-digit increases in
the use of metal in exterior commercial and industrial
roofing and walls. The program itself was a construction project — one members had to see to believe in,
and believe in to see continue.
Central Ar Los Angeles High School No. 9, a school focused on
the visual and performing arts, is an example of an ambitious use of
metal — reflecting the creativity of the campus with buildings that
look like sculptures.
