ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL — In 2013, the Shubette House in London was due for an upgrade. Commissioned by Pinnacle Developments, architects at HTA Design LLP (Hunt Thompson) were tasked with creating a design that would satisfy the need for a mixed-use space. The building was intended to be used for commercial, residential and hospitality purposes. The end result was a magnificent, color-shifting modular building that became one of London’s tallest modular structures.

There are many advantages that are typically associated with modular construction. For example, parts are prefabricated off site. This results in the reduction of on-site waste and a decreased likelihood of on-site human error. In the case of the mixed-use development, Vision Modular Systems (VMS) manufactured the prefabricated modules, and they were then delivered on site by crane. Exterior cladding and roofing, however, were installed on site.

The exterior of the development’s visually stunning Novotel Hotel features protruding box windows, which give the hotel a unique three-dimensional appearance. The hotel’s facade is further enhanced with the installment of ALUCOBOND^® PLUS Spectra Cupral, a warm, color-shifting aluminum composite material. Installed by Booth Muirie, the ACM’s appearance can be attributed to the coating systems that were applied to the cladding material.

Beckers’ Beckry^®Fluor and Beckry^®Flon, which were used to give the Novotel Hotel its unique hue-changing color and the protective topcoat, providing many benefits when applied to architectural surfaces. With BeckryFluor and BeckryFlon, buildings enjoy longevity, durability, color and gloss retention, and weatherability in the face of UV radiation, water, salt and any other elemental factors that could possibly result in coating degradation.