Cambridge Architectural Provides Cost-Effective Cladding Solution


A Cambridge Architectural Parkade™ metal fabric application functions as a cost-effective exterior cladding solution with dramatic visual appeal at the new Home Depot store in Jersey City, NJ.

The well known retailer stands at the edge of the booming town at the base of the Holland Tunnel where over 100,000 cars pass daily. This prominent location led to the desire for a visually appealing, yet durable and cost effective exterior cladding material to wrap the store’s adjacent two story, 600 space parking facility.

A Parkade metal fabric treatment from Cambridge Architectural offered a solution, integrating well with other building materials used on the structure, while at the same time offering a distinctive look. Approximately 14,700 square feet of woven metal fabric was used to create the Parkade system, which lends modern, contemporary visual appeal to the parking facility.

“We specified architectural mesh because we wanted to mask the parking garage and improve ventilation”, says Joshua Burdick, President, SBLM Architects.

“Cambridge’s ability to work within tight deadlines, as with the Home Depot garage, which needed to be ready for the store’s grand opening, made Cambridge Parkade metal fabric solutions a practical choice,” explains Heather Collins, director of marketing for Cambridge Architectural. “Freedom from requiring embedded supports means Cambridge Parkade mesh applications can dramatically cut down on project costs, making woven metal fabric an attractive yet affordable cladding option.”

The Parkade system was created with Cambridge’s mid-balance metal fabric pattern and attached in tension with Eclipse™ attachment hardware. Mid-balance features large scaled, flexible open weaves that shade and screen structures including facades, parking garages, and pavilions.

With the Eclipse tension attachment hardware, tailored edges of mesh are provided for expanses of flexible metal fabric in tension. Custom cut apertures receive the metal fabric ends in tubing that is integrated into a bracket and structural support design. Tube sizes may vary to emphasize or de-emphasize the attachment. The hardware is appropriate for lengths of metal fabric held in tension up to 100 feet.

Cambridge maintains a fully staffed engineering department to assist with design-build questions, installation details, framing design, and load characteristics, and is also available for on site installation supervision.