ALUCOBOND® PLUS: Crafting Signature Facades that Define Landmark Properties

Today’s residents seek more than convenient apartment living—they crave an experience. This fundamental shift means multifamily properties must offer distinctive quality and deliver more than simply large floorplans and a central location. Therefore, buildings must boast a sophisticated identity and project a tangible sense of high-quality, permanent living.

For developers and architects shaping these spaces, every decision about the exterior envelope is critical. The façade is what establishes a dynamic urban presence and creates the elevated experience people crave.

As multifamily design continues to advance, there is an evolution from utilitarian structures to warm, welcoming and community-centered buildings that revitalize neighborhoods. By incorporating durable and high-performing ALUCOBOND® PLUS into their plans, architects are creating facades with character and utilizing a robust range of brilliant colors and rich finishes to create eye-catching landmarks that truly stand out.

3A Composites Americas is committed to the design, production and delivery of sustainable, high-quality, beautiful materials that inspire customization and creativity in the growing multifamily market. With dozens of ALUCOBOND® PLUS standard finish options and nearly unlimited custom colors, we’re ready to help the architectural community give shape to their great ideas.

The following profiles showcase what’s possible with ALUCOBOND PLUS across high-profile residential facilities.

Located at the intersection of 5th and Spring Garden, The Carson emerged from a worn-down retail site as a dynamic 12-story mixed-use development. The design challenge for BLT Architects (BLTA) was complex: to refresh and seamlessly integrate the existing, outdated one-story grocery store with a new residential tower, creating a sense of architectural harmony across the evolving urban landscape.

The solution was a c-shaped design, strategically crafting three unique sections, each with its own unique facade, creating a visually appealing and community-friendly structure. BLTA selected ALUCOBOND® PLUS for its affordability, durability and design flexibility, which were crucial for achieving a differentiated presence that seamlessly integrated into the surrounding community.

The design team utilized a suite of custom ALUCOBOND PLUS colors to create a visual narrative: a sophisticated wrap of custom greys for the tower contrasted beautifully by warmer, bolder accents like Spicy Mustard and Electric Lime at the street level to create a destination feel.

“We think a lot about how our designs fit into the urban landscape, and with The Carson we set out to create a building with an attractive street presence, keeping in mind that we were also creating a space that people will call home or think of as a destination,” Zoe Sheaffer, associate, BLT Architects. “By incorporating ALUCOBOND PLUS in custom colors, we were able to reach an ideal balance and complementary palette.”

The successful execution relied on the seamless collaboration between BLTA, metal fabricator River Supply and specialty contractor Novinger. Using advanced modeling software, Novinger translated the architectural designs into a fully-integrated build plan for nearly 450 horizontal wall sections. River Supply then fabricated over 5,000 individual ALUCOBOND PLUS panels, optimizing yield and minimizing waste. Panels were installed directly onto the framed, insulated, and sheathed wall sections off-site. This prefabrication methodology leveraged the material’s efficiency and formability to eliminate the typical sequencing challenges of a traditional build and expedite the overall project timeline

Read the full case study.

A few blocks from the University of Texas at Austin campus Union on 24th sets a new benchmark for student housing showcasing a blend of stunning aesthetics and construction efficiency. Developed by Greystar, the project required a façade that was both elegant and capable of meeting a demanding delivery timeline.

Perkins&Will envisioned a clean, contemporary high-rise anchored by a metallic finish that would reflect light break down the building’s massing and remain maintenance-friendly throughout its life. The final design of Union on 24th achieves an ideal blend of functionality and visual appeal.

A key feature of the building is the ALUCOBOND PLUS panels in “Brushed” finish, which lends a sleek and modern look to the structure. Chosen for its superior formability and consistent appearance, ALUCOBOND PLUS allowed the prefabricated panels to live up to the expectations of the project team. According to Project Manager Clint Bordner from Greystar, “The finished project turned out even better than we hoped,” he said.

Baker Triangle took the aesthetic concept further integrating a series of unique 6-inch-deep vertical fins fabricated from the exact same Brushed ALUCOBOND PLUS material. These vertical accents enhance the visual appeal and offer dynamic interest to the structure’s overall look.

“The fins are incredibly sleek and beautiful,” noted Sam Balunda, executive vice president, Baker Triangle. “Adding this type of component was a first for us; we couldn’t be happier with how it turned out, it’s a uniquely proud section of the building.”

The material’s consistency was vital as the panels measuring 42 by 9 feet were fabricated in Baker Triangle’s controlled 200,000 square foot facility. The installation process was meticulously coordinated and the use of prefabricated ALUCOBOND PLUS panels was a critical factor in saving approximately 12 weeks of construction time, ensuring the project was completed within the strict back-to-school deadline. This successful integration of material and method delivered a superior quality finish and allowed interior work to commence faster supporting parallel.

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Positioned in Atlanta’s coveted Buckhead neighborhood, Arya Peachtree brings a sophisticated, high-end architectural presence to a prominent urban corridor despite the constraint of a narrow frontage along Peachtree Street. The design successfully addresses this challenge by using the façade to create depth and a sense of luxury that appeals to the market.

The building’s identity is accessorized by ALUCOBOND PLUS in Cupral, a vibrant color than ideally pairs with Brushed Carbon, a stunning color-shifting finish that subtly transitions between warm copper and rich bronze tones depending on the sun and viewing angle. This material is elegantly contrasted by the Adonic Satin Mica. Strategically combined in deep façade setbacks and vertical “eyebrow” elements that cast dynamic shadows throughout the day, the colors inject a sense of vitality and energy that give the flat surface a sense purpose and unexpected dimensionality.

The material’s precision and color consistency were essential for executing the intricate patterns and ensuring a seamless, high-end appearance across the entire structure. The durable, low-maintenance palette sets Arya apart, demonstrating how thoughtful material selection creates a distinctive, high-value visual identity in a competitive residential market. Check out the gallery of photos.

In midtown Atlanta 1081 Juniper is defined by a precise design strategy creating a dynamic sense of movement across two massive residential high-rises (34 and 36 stories). The architects’ goal was to “jazz up” the design, achieving visual interest without relying on costly custom finishes. They accomplished this by selecting four standard ALUCOBOND PLUS colors and strategically altering the panel grain direction during installation.

The primary finish used across the main towers and inside the balcony alcoves is Hazelnut Mica. This directional application causes the surface to appear to shift color and reflectivity depending on the sun and the observer’s position. The effect transforms the material from rich, subtle earth tones to a dynamic metallic appearance, creating continuous variation and visual energy across the large surface area.

“The key to this high-impact design was utilizing a standard finish and strategically shifting the panel orientation,” said Nate Muncy, project manager, MillerClapperton. “This simple directional trick activates the Hazelnut Mica, transforming the surface into a continuously varying texture that gives the towers a custom, dynamic presence without the expense of a custom color run.”

With over 70,000 square feet of ACM across the two buildings, the project’s scale was immense. The reliability of the ALUCOBOND PLUS supply chain and the consistency of the product were critical for successful delivery. The execution demanded meticulous coordination between MillerClapperton and the installers. Panels were fabricated to precise dimensions, requiring all subcontractors to operate with the highest level of alignment to ensure the clean, crisp lines of the façade.

Parkway 25 elevates what’s possible with wood-frame residential construction with an emphasis on sophisticated design and material permanence, challenging the limitations typically associated with this building type. The building’s signature feature is a softly curved façade clad in the Medium Bronze Adonized finish, giving the structure a welcoming, contemporary identity and a sense of enduring quality.

The material’s superior formability and flatness were essential for executing the smooth, sweeping curve, a design element necessary to counteract the visual constraints of a wood building and create a long-term sense of presence. The design strategically employed a mixed palette, teaming the metallic curve with the contrast of Driftwood Mica used on the balcony interiors to provide visual depth and richness.

“The metal with the soft curve element has that ability to show light in different angles which we like and that helps emphasize that gradual curve of the building. The mix of materials—the stone and the metal—was intentional to provide a sense of permanence, variety and quality that isn’t typically used in this type of construction.”

The material selection played a direct role in the personality of the building, which has maintained a consistent waiting list since completion. Parkway 25 demonstrates the ability of ALUCOBOND PLUS to deliver lasting visual appeal and superior quality in the competitive multifamily market.

In Summary

3A Composites Americas is committed to the design, production and delivery of sustainable, high-quality, beautiful materials that inspire customization and creativity in the multifamily market.

By incorporating durable and high-performing ALUCOBOND PLUS into their designs, architects gain the flexibility to realize complex geometries and unique surface treatments. This creative freedom, combined with the product’s reliability and superior aesthetic quality, ensures the successful, efficient delivery of projects.

With numerous ALUCOBOND PLUS standard finish options, nearly unlimited custom colors and efficient fastening systems, we’re helping the architectural community give shape to great ideas that enhance long-term asset value and premium property desirability.

For more information visit www.alucobondUSA.com, call 1-800-626-3365 or email info.usa@3AComposites.com.