Aluminum Composite Panels (ACP) | ACP Sheet Design

The thermoplastic polyethylene core and the fire-retardant core material are sandwiched between two thin sheets of aluminum to create the aluminum composite panel, a composite material. Actually, polyethylene doesn’t resist fire; instead, it ignites and spreads the flames, As a result, it’s important to understand when and when to use the material.

Signage, canopy shopfronts, bars, hotels, shopping malls, commercial buildings, offices, etc. typically have external cladding or facades made of aluminum composite panels. It is additionally utilized for interior purposes such as wallcovering, false ceilings, table tops, column covers, closets, modular kitchens, and more. It is also utilized in the aviation sector, where mechanical efficiency and weight reduction are crucial.

20 ACP sheet designs ideas

ACP sheets Design actively participates in both commercial and residential design, giving architects and clients direct access to a wide selection of contemporary design trends that are not only high-end but also defy expectations.

Pigments of Rich Color in ACP Sheets 

However, architects are becoming more daring now. Grey is still a fantastic neutral choice for mixing and matching or merging different sheets. The goal is to use the color on more surfaces and in a bolder manner than before. Your areas are exquisitely improved with rich color pigments to give you the freshest and brightest look. Kitchens are now highly sought-after areas that include vibrant bursts of color, making the space more suitable to work than before.

20 ACP Sheet Design Ideas - Sheet1
Merging different shades of grey ACP sheets in the cabinets as well as the counter_©DesignSpace London

Supportive Design

Metal laminates are required as support for ACP wall cladding designs in order to preserve structural strength and longevity. Metal laminates help mold distinctive design elements for one’s ideal home in addition to offering a sturdy foundation. Because it opens up so many creative options, each design has the potential to be a piece of art. Since the temperature has little to no impact on the color or other characteristics of sheets and laminates alike, it is impossible to ignore the eye-catching utility. You can cut and reassemble each sheet of ACP cladding to make a design. The warmth of the hues and texture represents vitality and modernism and gives the minimalist design some flair.

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ACP sheets along with metal laminates in external facade_©courtesy of Aludecor

ACP textures and patterns that mimic natural forms | ACP Sheet Design

An intriguing combination of cladding styles is created by the texture and patterns of ACP cladding. ACP cladding designs for both the interiors and the exteriors are beginning to incorporate embossed, marbled, and stone effects and patterns. For the majority of architects, the matte finish appearance is still very popular.

20 ACP Sheet Design Ideas - Sheet
Using ACP sheets to mimic the natural forms_©courtesy of Glasscon

Concrete Concepts

Although people don’t like concrete environments, they still have a soft spot for the way they seem. For this reason, solid, grayscale stone looks are more prevalent in interiors, particularly in areas with plants, books, and fireplaces. The concrete design works well with ACP wall cladding designs, which give the walls a larger appearance while freeing up spaces that the original brick and concrete effects would occupy.

20 ACP Sheet Design Ideas - Sheet4
ACP and Concrete_©http://sc04.alicdn.com/kf/H6ef3072f72d34218a4cebe3a1d0033d8O.jpg

Dark and deep are the woods

ACP exterior cladding applauds the use of wood tones and effects in exterior designs to give modern and opulent residences a vintage appearance. The majority of the time, wood is combined with stone effects or metallic colors like gold, copper, or brass lines with black highlights to give the dwellings a very opulent appearance. Additionally, used within the residences, wood effects provide the interiors with sumptuous air, especially in the living or study areas.

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ACP and wood_©courtesy of Kingspan Insulated Panels

Parametric forms and ACP

Aluminum is a material that can be easily molded into a variety of shapes and forms, so some businesses that use aluminum as a building material are working to make ACP sheets more resilient and flexible so they can improve the appearance of facades. 

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ACP in parametric facades_©Cecil septet

Combining ACP with Interior Design Elements

Because ACP is much easier to work with because of its flexibility, it also creates a good look within the building. ACP may be used in the furnishings, ceilings, or any feature of the room to create harmony and rhythm.

Amalgamation of ACP in interior design_©https://designsflat.com/loadimage/image/large/acp-cladding-designs.html

Bed back wall | ACP Sheet Design

Since ACP sheets can be made to have any texture or finish, this can be put and coordinated with the bed’s back wall to give it a more aesthetically pleasing and fashionable appearance.

20 ACP Sheet Design Ideas - Sheet8
Bed Back wall_©https://designsflat.com/loadimage/image/large/2-bhk-flat-interior-design-ideas.html

Ceilings

We can also use the sheets on the ceilings to add artistic detail. It might only combine the designs, creating a flow.

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The design is fluidized by the use of ACP sheets in the ceilings_©https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7c/46/5e/7c465e8ded352df34c35d6bb2b8ccd71.jpg

Creating Interiority

The quality of interiority is a  concept of boundedness and openness, both physically and culturally, Interiority, or the character of interior space, is a term used to describe both. Boundaries produce interiority in the physical sense; in the cultural sense, it requires the presence of the other, or the outside, to produce the circumstances that make something within. And certain components and materials can add interiority to a design. By utilizing the idea of interiority and the flexibility of ACP sheets, ACP sheets can be one of those materials that assist the designer in connecting the inside to the outside. The concepts for these applications and designs that support the aforementioned statement are listed below.

Charlotte & William Bloomberg Medford Public Library by  Schwartz/Silver Architects | ACP Sheet Design

Red Norman brick is used to cover the street façade, while horizontal HPL rain-screen cladding panels are used to cover the rear, neighborhood-facing façade. Standing seam metal makes up the curved roofs, while ACP sheets serve as the trim. The exposed brickwork texture and the use of ACP sheets on the curving edges contrast each other.

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Charlotte & William Bloomberg Medford Public Library / Schwartz/Silver Architects_©Paul Burk Photography

Monochrome

establishing a monochromatic motif to contrast the inside with the outdoors.

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ACP in grey complimenting the black window frames_©Courtesy of viva (https://vivaacp.com/acp-design/)

Customized wall textures

Since the sheets are easily customizable, any type of texture may be added with the least amount of work. Both internal and external uses are possible for it.

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Wall textures using ACP_©Courtesy of viva (https://vivaacp.com/acp-design/)

Jali work in ACP sheets

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Jali with ACP sheet_©https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/50595195805764002/

Seamless feel

Because ACP sheets are made of aluminum composite, they can give the impression of being seamless.

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Seemless texture in exterior of a residence_©Courtesy of Design Engine Architects

Adaptive reuse using ACP sheets in skin of the built

The idea of adaptive reuse is similar to, but distinct from, a project for historic preservation or restoration. The goal of a historic restoration or preservation project frequently includes returning a part or feature of a structure to its original state. There are restrictions and possibly additional costs associated with a historic restoration because of the rules governing the preservation of a particular design aesthetic, feature, or building material. Certain agencies and municipalities may offer tax credits and other incentives for historic preservation projects.

The examples of adaptive reuse that have been done using aluminum composite panels to make alterations to the facade’s skin are as follows.

Estadio Municipal de Balaídos

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Estadio Municipal de Balaídos_©Courtesy of Pedro de la Puente Crespo

Cultural Center in Getafe, Spain

As in the case of the Cultural Center in Getafe, Spain, where the building entirely changed the low corner building, ventilated façades are also possible with ACP, which can also be employed in addition. The pattern used for the coating adds motion to the cityscape. By employing a black-and-white finish to punctuate the façade with vertical laminar apertures, the renovation harmonized its template.

Cultural Center in Getafe, Spain_©Courtesy of Archdaily (https://neufert-cdn.archdaily.net/uploads/photo/image/304295/large_4.jpeg)
Cultural Center in Getafe, Spain_©Courtesy of Archdaily (https://neufert-cdn.archdaily.net/uploads/photo/image/304295/large_4.jpeg)

Healthcare Building in Norway | ACP Sheet Design

Three different forms of cladding were employed to dramatically alter the appearance of the concrete structure in this Norwegian healthcare facility. The façade is painted in a shade that resembles anodized aluminum, with the exception of the line of frames, which was marked with a coating of gold.

Healthcare building in Norway_©Courtesy of Archdaily (https://neufert-cdn.archdaily.net/uploads/photo/image/304294/large_6.jpeg)
Healthcare building in Norway_©Courtesy of Archdaily (https://neufert-cdn.archdaily.net/uploads/photo/image/304294/large_6.jpeg)

Estrada Residential Building

The original plastered brickwork of this residential building’s façade in A Estrada, Spain, was covered with two colors of contrasting aluminum composite panels, giving the structure a more contemporary appearance.

A Estrada, Spain_©Courtesy of Archdaily (https://neufert-cdn.archdaily.net/uploads/photo/image/304299/large_5.jpeg)
A Estrada, Spain_©Courtesy of Archdaily (https://neufert-cdn.archdaily.net/uploads/photo/image/304299/large_5.jpeg)

Commercial Building in France

The horizontal and vertical uprights that create a distinctive pattern on the façade of this predominately horizontal building in France showcase the silver metallic finish that was used throughout the commercial structure.

Commercial Building in France_©Courtesy of Archdaily (https://neufert-cdn.archdaily.net/uploads/photo/image/304296/large_3.jpeg)
Commercial Building in France_©Courtesy of Archdaily (https://neufert-cdn.archdaily.net/uploads/photo/image/304296/large_3.jpeg)

Haworth Tompkins Architects has transformed a former factory into ‘a new machine for painting

 When a building’s structural integrity has been maintained to a considerable extent, the modifications required to change or improve its usefulness may be quite small. A old factory building was recently transformed into a number of painting studios for students at the Royal College of Art by London-based architects Haworth Tompkins. The existing brick building was kept, but a saw-toothed steel structure with an appropriately industrial appearance took the place of the original pitched roof. roof. The studios’ north light, which is excellent for painting, and ceiling height are both greatly increased by the angle of the ridges.

ACP used alongside exposed brickwork and metal_©Philip Vile
ACP used alongside exposed brickwork and metal_©Philip Vile

 

(Honourable mention) Svendborg Architects added a separate aluminum structure inside the stable’s existing walls | ACP Sheet Design

An existing structure may occasionally sustain damage that is so severe that repair efforts are futile and the structure is no longer functioning. In this case, it could still be advantageous to keep a few original elements to help the structure blend in with the surrounding structures. One option to give the area a new use while preserving the legacy of its predecessor is to fit a freshly manufactured shell inside existing walls. By inserting a prismatic volume with an excessively steep roof pitch that focuses light into the interior, Svendborg Architects transformed an ancient stable into an artist’s studio in Denmark. The contrast between the stable’s white rendered walls and the black finish of the anodized aluminum expansion reflects the look of the nearby homes with its traditional thatched and tiled roof.

"Anodized aluminum and aluminum composite in the roof structure_©Ole Hein
“Anodized aluminum and aluminum composite in the roof structure_©Ole Hein

Online sources

What is ACP (Aluminum composite panels)? – Definition, Advantages and Disadvantages

By Civil Lead

Available at: https://www.civillead.com/acp-aluminium-composite-panel/

5 Most Unique ACP Cladding Design for Your Modern Dream House

By Kavita Jhala

Updated on May 22, 2021

Available at: https://www.maplacp.com/blog/acp-cladding/5-most-unique-acp-cladding-design-for-your-modern-dream-house/

How good is ACP sheet as a Facade Interior and Signage Material

Atlantic Chowdhury 

Available at: 

https://blogs.aludecor.com/how-good-is-acp-sheet-as-a-facade-interior-and-signage-material/

ACP cladding – Aluminium Composite Panels

Available at: 

https://www.glasscon.com/products/cladding-roofing-siding-for-walls-rainscreens/acp-cladding-aluminium-composite-panels

The New Waldorf Astoria in Panama City

Amanda Friedman

June 30, 2013

Available at: 

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/waldorf-astoria-panama-city-ba-haus-knf-kalych-padro-alvarado?epik=dj0yJnU9VnU3OVZ1NFJVR3hrQXU2VmE4Y0VOOGFTU2JvamJWNU4mcD0wJm49My00MmVzNm9zWF8wcmZmYXV2UktRQSZ0PUFBQUFBR01TN2Nj&mbid=social

What Materials Can Be Used for Façade Cladding?

April 15, 2022

Available at: 

https://www.archdaily.com/979639/what-materials-can-be-used-for-facade-cladding

Help the Aged: innovative adaptive reuse in architecture

ALYN GRIFFITHS

Dec 18, 2010

Available at: 

https://www.architonic.com/en/story/alyn-griffiths-help-the-aged-innovative-adaptive-reuse-in-architecture/7000565

Author

An Architect/Designer who stands utmost to facilitate success and break the stereotypes that have been followed for a very long time in architecture. He believes every design must be conceived to add charm and enhance the surrounding's innate beauty with energy and resource efficiency as key driving factors.