Kaynemaile’s Cool Silicon Valley Facade

Not software but hardware, of the coolest kind. Wellington materials science and design innovators Kaynemaile have graced one of Silicon Valley’s newest buildings with their revolutionary architectural mesh. The Lawson Lane campus in Santa Clara features Kaynemaile’s new range of three-dimensional kinetic screens on the exterior of the complex’s carparking building.

“When it comes to usage and environmental sustainability, the Kaynemaile Architectural Mesh system is an increasingly viable material for projects across the globe,” writes Luke Carothers, editor for Civil + Structural Engineer Media. “In bigger cities, particularly ones in warmer climates, large parking garages are often responsible for storing massive amounts of heat, adding to heat island effects.  Kaynemaile is one potential solution for this problem, as the material is capable of up to 70 percent solar reduction and does not store and radiate heat like metal products do.

Carothers says that the facade project in Santa Clara “is a stunning example of paradigm shifting innovation. The sustainability of the Kaynemaile material provides an important alternative to more resource-intensive materials, and its recyclability only further adds to this.”

From both aesthetic and functional perspectives, Kaynemaile is already changing how we view structures in an urban environment, says Carothers. “Instead of being rigid, Kaynemaile allows buildings to move and interact with the world in a way that buildings have never done. An even more exciting initiative is on the horizon for Kaynemaile with the introduction of a bio-based polycarbonate throughout their range. As cities and the effects of climate change grow, Kaynemaile will be among the strongest solutions to our growing problems.”

Client: Sobrato Organization.

Architect: Design Architects: Arc Tec.

Installers: B.T. Mancini.

Photo: Lucas Fladzinski Photography

Original article in Civil+Structural Engineer, October 1, 2022