Banker Wire Precision Weaves Panels for Baltimore Hospital

MUKWONAGO, WI—MAY 14, 2013—Baltimore’s Sinai Hospital has a total of 493 beds and more than 18 medical departments. Its hundreds of employees care for more than 26,000 patients annually.  Now, the teaching hospital offers those patients and their loved ones more than high-quality care. An 8,000-square-foot atrium, its windows framed by Banker Wire mesh, provides hospital visitors and employees a peaceful place for relaxation and reflection.

The hospital was founded in 1866 as the Hebrew Hospital and Asylum, and since then, has been dedicated to patient satisfaction, teaching and research. The atrium was part of an 87,000-square-foot, four-story addition to the hospital, which aims to help the hospital further that mission. The expansion also includes a 29-bed intensive care unit, a 36-bed intermediate care unit and the area’s first hospital roof garden.

Like the roof garden, the atrium offers an environmentally friendly – and beautiful – respite from the day-to-day stresses of the hospital environment. The atrium is a physical manifestation of Sinai’s commitment to compassion and community concern for all.  Although closed in, the space allows in an abundance of natural light through its sunlit ceiling. That, combined with green plants and a 40-foot waterfall feature, promotes the sense of a truly indoor-outdoor space. Its warm hues further add to the space’s welcoming atmosphere.

The atrium’s reds, oranges and natural light are complemented by mesh, custom constructed by Banker Wire. The company’s M13Z-145 wire mesh frames each of the atrium’s window openings.

“The installation needed to connect wood, glass and metal with the existing structure,” according to Kevin Weston, Senior Project Manager at Gutierrez Studios. Doing so required the precision for which Banker Wire has become known.

“Each mesh panel had to be exactly 35.63 inches by 163.38 inches,” says Weston. “That’s why we went to Banker Wire. We knew they would manufacture to our exact needs and ensure consistency in every panel.”

Banker Wire’s product also fit in with the space’s aesthetic. The wire mesh brings texture to the hospital space, adding depth to its walls. The panels each have a slightly pickled stainless finish, giving them a satin shine that sparkles in the space’s natural light.

“This project captures Banker Wire’s values,” says Harrison Horan, Vice President of Marketing at Banker Wire. “We excel at blending form and style with meticulous accuracy.”

Banker Wire’s mesh is incorporated with high-performance energy-saving glass, just one of the space’s many green features. Sinai Hospital’s attentiveness to the environment has earned it recognition both in its community and beyond it since the addition’s 2009 completion. The hospital won the Baltimore Business Journal’s Green Policy Award partially because of the ecofriendly addition. It also received the Communitas Award for Green Initiatives in 2010.

The Sinai Hospital project team included architect and designer Hord Coplan Macht, Baltimore, MD and fabricator Gutierrez Studios, Baltimore, MD.

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About Banker Wire
Banker Wire is the world’s leading manufacturer of woven and welded wire mesh for architectural and industrial applications. With the most modern and productive mill in the U.S., Banker Wire provides custom-weaved material for any aesthetic on any scale – from intricate design highlights to expansive building facades. Founded in 1896, Banker Wire’s manufacturing expertise has been refined for more than a century, bringing unmatched customization, quality, and service to customers. State-of-the-art grid welding equipment provide a wide variety of wire alloy, spacing and diameter configurations, trimmed or untrimmed. For more information visit https://www.bankerwire.com.

About Architectural Woven Wire Mesh
Pre-crimped woven wire mesh is constructed of individual wires that are crimped prior to being woven together on a loom. Pre-crimping the wires provides a much higher degree of control during the weaving process. This allows for far more intricate and interesting patterns, as well as unique customization, to meet the vision of the designer. Banker Wire has refined and innovated its crimping process more than any other manufacturer, delivering more than 8,000 different spacing, diameter, and crimp combinations, plus endless customization options. As a result, Banker can make any woven wire mesh pattern imaginable – manufactured to specify for any project type.

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