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Reflecting the creative, innovative and unique brands of Silicon Valley’s high-tech businesses, the new 1199 Coleman office building showcases a one-of-a-kind spattercoat finish by Linetec. Designed by Gensler, the high-profile project is pursuing LEED® certification through the U.S. Green Building Council. Contributing to the building’s value and respecting its architectural vision, Architectural Glass & Aluminum (AGA) designed, engineered and installed the entire façade system on 1199 Coleman’s L-shaped structure.

In anticipation of the project’s completion in 2020, media and technology company Yahoo! signed a long-term lease on the eight-story, 603,363-square-foot property. Paired with the adjacent amenities facility, the buildings are intended to serve an estimated 3,400 employees as its new innovation hub.

Part of the new multi-building Coleman Highline corporate complex still under construction, the development is named for the outdoor, third-floor pedestrian walkway connecting the buildings known as the “highline.” The $780 million purchase, approx. $1,185 per square foot, was reported as a record-breaking price for a single office property in the city.

Bringing the project from concept to construction, Linetec helped to visually harmonize the aluminum sun shades on the upper stories and the glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) that clads the ground-level podium and glazing system junction points. Mimicking the GFRC’s color and pattern, Linetec created a precise palette and handcrafted spattercoat finish for the sun shades.

Linetec’s proprietary spattercoat process combines computer-matched custom colors with hands-on artistry to determine the exact mix and texture to achieve the desired look and feel. AGA project executive, Jason Gillard complimented Linetec’s work saying, “They matched the GFRC perfectly. If you’re standing 2 feet away, you can’t tell the difference.”

Aluminum not only offers versatile finishing options, but is easy to fabricate into the sun shades’ narrow profiles. Its light weight also makes it more convenient for shipping and installing. In addition to the sun shades, Linetec finished the wall panels near the floor line and the fascia panels near the roof line in matching spattercoat. Finished to resemble masonry, it conveys a perception of substantial heft, permanence and solidity to the mostly glass and metal building.

Highlighting the metal, Linetec also finished aluminum wall panel accents in a Silverstorm color and an internal backpan system in a dark gray. In total, AGA installed 92,000 square feet of Linetec-finished material.

Once the spattercoat color, pattern and texture was approved by Gensler and AGA, Linetec applied the finish under quality-controlled factory conditions. A 70% PVDF resin-based coating system was selected for the high performance needed for California’s climate, coastal conditions and surrounding environment.

Exposure to direct sunlight, salt spray and pollution were also considerations for the spattercoat finish’s performance. Ensuring the required performance was met, if not surpassed, Linetec applied the 70% PVDF resin-based coating to meet AAMA 2605 specification, the most stringent in the industry. Following this standard, these architectural coatings are proven to withstand 4,000 hours of accelerated testing for humidity and salt spray, and resist chalking, gloss loss and chemicals. They also exhibit outstanding color retention and UV-resistance, which is needed in sunny Silicon Valley.

Shading the 1199 Coleman building and its occupants is the primary function of the 250 triangular-shaped fins. The beige-based concrete color of the lightly textured, spattercoat finish on the aluminum fins and panels complements the dark, smooth glass and metal that dominates the façade. As an environmentally responsible finisher, Linetec uses a 100% air capture system and regenerative thermal oxidizer to safely remove the VOCs in the liquid paints’ solvents. By managing this in its quality-controlled facility, there is no adverse environmental impact at the factory or on the jobsite.

Photos provided by: Architectural Glass & Aluminum (AGA), courtesy of Linetec