Materials + Methods

RAEANNE MARSH

>>> McNichols Designer Metals, Phoenix, Arizona

McNichols Designer Metals bronze wire mesh was used to conceal lighting, wires and the catwalk in this theater installation.

Holes are not just for looking through; with McNichols Company's designer metals, holes are also for looking at.

Descriptions such as "aesthetically pleasing," "imaginative" and "adaptable" were not typically directed toward heavy industrial construction, which is where McNichols' designer metals have their roots. But with the revolutionary advancement of technology and the corresponding attraction of the "high tech" look, the metals proved to have merit in expressing that aesthetic.

While McNichols, which is based in Tampa, Florida and has a Southwest service center in Phoenix, Arizona, has been actively marketing toward this purpose since the 1970s, the real growth in popularity began around the turn of the millennium. Interest from the design community was mostly directed toward the perforated metals at first, but the company also began to play up the possibilities of expanded metals and wire mesh. With hundreds of options available, McNichols recently packaged the product lines most appealing to architects and designers into its McNichols Designer Metals.

At McNichols headquarters, framed privacy mesh helps define space in the lobby.

When McNichols consolidated its Tampa corporate headquarters into a new building in 2004, creative minds in the company took advantage of the opportunity to fashion a showcase of the designer capabilities of metal with holes.

Concrete columns gain artistic relevance when wrapped in McNichols' woven rod and cable wire cloth. Perforated metal adds a decorative touch when mounted behind glass panels in desk fronts. Cabinets take on a richer look when wire mesh in a basketweave pattern is placed over glass door fronts. Wire cloth and perforated metals, inserted in stand-up, mahogany frames, create privacy panels that separate spaces without obscuring light; different levels of privacy are achieved by the different varieties of metal with holes.

Pliability is what enables wire mesh to wrap the concrete columns, but the same material is also used for building exteriors. It is available rigid or flexible in one direction, with openings that range from 45 percent to 66 percent. Each product category, in fact, offers hundreds of designs in varying sizes and shapes of openings. Adding to the variety of looks and effects is the selection of metals, which includes stainless steel, aluminum, carbon steel, copper and brass.

An exterior application of McNichols Designer Metals.

The materials also meet architects' functional needs. They are more durable than wood and lighter in weight than solid sheet metal. They are fire resistant. And the variety of opening sizes allows varying degrees of air, light and sound to pass through. More recently, some of these attributes have taken on additional cachet for the "green" benefits they add to a project. Every type of metal is recyclable and more durable than even some vinyl products.

"Understanding the unique traits of metal with holes is the key to being creative with the material," says Bill Tuxhorn, McNichols' marketing vice president. McNichols sponsors workshops on using its different metal lines. Catalogs and their Web site provide product specifications. McNichols' customer service representatives are specifically trained to work with architects and designers, able to answer questions about product specifications, finishes and materials in each product line.

The material was used to define and enhance work areas.

Once an order is sent to the McNichols service center, it is fabricated and usually shipped out within 24 hours. It takes a well-stocked facility to be able to meet that company directive, but prompt delivery has been a cornerstone of the family's business ethic since Robert L. McNichols founded McNichols Company in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1952 and made his first deliveries in a station wagon.

The Phoenix service center, one of numerous locales across the United States and Mexico, maintains a complete inventory of perforated and expanded metals, wire mesh and bar grade. Of its 16,000 square feet, approximately 12,000 is taken up with 16-foot-tall racks, which leaves a quarter of the space open for the saws and welding equipment used to fabricate the balcony railings, staircase panels, decorative walls and ceilings, and other architectural artistry.

McNichols Designer Metals, 5525 W. Latham St., #7, Phoenix, AZ 85043; (602) 447-0700, (800) 237-3820 or www.mcnichols.com.