Kingspan Insulated Panels North America, Deland, Fla., provides an energy-efficient, durable enclosure system in a contemporary palette that complements the 75-year-old company’s cutting-edge profile. In doing so, it elevated a new headquarters and refrigerated processing/shipping facility of a major sustainable produce supplier to LEED Gold status.

Kingspan, the global manufacturer of insulated metal panels (IMPs) for building construction, developed a combination of precision-engineered wall and roof systems to help Deardorff Family Farms of Oxnard, Calif., construct a high-performance building enclosure for a variety of functions. Deardorff, a fourth-generation vegetable processor on 2,000 acres, more than doubled its ability to cool, process and pack its array of organically farmed crops with the new facility.

A $35 million-per-year company that focuses on organic produce and sustainability in farming, Deardorff was looking to house all of its offices and crop-processing functions in one, 115,000-square-foot building. Previously, Deardorff was operating from three separate facilities in the area for the cooling, processing and packing operations and head office.

Sustainable design, superior insulation

Armed with a new company slogan of “Sustainable farming for a healthier life,” Deardorff embarked on their sustainable facility project, which took just over 18 months to complete. Working with ADS Group Architecture & Development of Ventura, Calif., Deardorff selected an infill site—a building that previously housed a barley processing facility—to minimize environmental impact and utilize existing resources. The older structure was demolished, and virtually all of the materials were recycled for the new facility.

Deardorff installed sophisticated new technologies, including automated systems to precisely regulate the cooling and sorting of crops for size and quality, along with new equipment to monitor and automate irrigation and energy use.

Kingspan’s Commercial & Industrial (C&I) panel systems also contributed to a state-of-the-art facility. The wall and roof systems, consisting of strong, visually appealing metal sheets structurally attached to a thick insulation layer, were selected for their exceptional exterior insulating properties and protection against moisture, air infiltration and thermal variability.

“Our new facility was designed and built to improve the environment, meet the highest standards of food safety and create the best possible supply chain efficiency,” says president Tom Deardorff II, who has quipped that his company is “going green while growing greens.”

Enclosure adds to LEED

The Kingspan cladding systems have also contributed several LEED credits that the Deardorff team required to achieve Gold status through the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program, says

Paul Bertram, director, environment and sustainability for Kingspan. The roof and wall panels helped earn credits for energy performance, recycled content and low-emitting materials, among other benefits.

ADS Group Architecture & Development selected Kingspan’s 300 GS Granitstone pre-engineered wall system and Kingspan’s KingZip insulated standing-seam roof system. The two products, designed to be used together in a flawless, resilient construction, deliver a blanket of continuous insulation and an air/moisture barrier. With a high insulating R-value of 33 with a 4-inch isocyanurate core insulation between the inside and outside of the building, Kingspan Granitstone offers among the highest thermal insulation levels available.

To enhance the company’s brand image, the exteriors were specified in a standard Surrey Beige color to blend in with the surrounding agricultural landscape and manufacturing village. The textured cladding also met all of the prevailing code requirements, including local municipal codes and performance levels.

A cool roof to match

The 102,000 square feet of 4-inch-thick standing-seam KingZip roof panels in standard Kynar Regal White exceeds the high threshold for Solar Reflective Index (SRI) in LEED. That means the roof system delivers a “cool roof” rating while still providing a high R-value of thermal protection. Because the roof is a single-component construction system, delays are kept to a minimum.

“So often with cold storage projects like these, function trumps form. We’ve all seen the boxy white refrigerated buildings dotting the landscape,” says Steven Mauro, national sales director for Kingspan’s cold storage division. “Yet with the Deardorff building, design and performance were critical. Kingspan was able to provide a highly insulating product that is also aesthetically pleasing and, importantly, acceptable for municipal codes and performance levels established by the City of Oxnard.”

An architectural benchmark

For areas not in need of the super-insulating cold storage panels such as the front office zone, Kingspan’s signature Benchmark Architectural products are a highlight of the building design.

Here, ADS Group and the Deardorff team selected Kingspan Designwall 2000 and H-Wave products in standard Off-White and Patina Green hues. These architectural panels blend in with the window design and complement the Granitstone earth tones of the rest of the facility. The panels can be tailor-made for custom, out-of-the-ordinary projects in lengths of up to 20 feet or more.

Taken together, the Kingspan products helped Deardorff achieve their dream—A lasting, high-performance facility that matches their sustainable farming and processing with a certifiably green building.

“The design flexibility and panel options allowed for quick, efficient installation,” adds Bertram. “Deardorff was able to quickly build and begin using their new facilities, and there was virtually no product waste at the job site—another LEED benefit. We were proud to help support the Deardorff Family Farms mission and sustainability objectives.”

For more information, visit www.kingspanpanels.us.