When your façade design demands more than a standard system can provide, custom-engineered solutions become essential to preserving your design vision. At the CWU North Academic Complex, the project team needed a support system capable of handling adhered thin brick while extending the cavity depth enough to align the façade with the window system.  The assembly also needed to satisfy demanding wind load and dead load requirements without compromising performance.

Knight Wall Systems partnered with the project team to engineer a custom solution using our MFI® System HD THERMABRACKETS® in various depths.  By leveraging the adaptability of our steel components, this fully engineered, custom configuration provided the extended cavity depth needed to achieve the desired façade alignment, while tighter bracket spacing helped accommodate the increased dead load of the adhered thin brick system and meet the project’s wind load requirements.

Additional custom-engineered components were developed for specific areas of the project, including specially bent THERMAZEE® girts manufactured with a 100-degree (in lieu of 90 degrees) bend to accommodate an angled panel installation.  These project-specific modifications helped maintain continuity across the façade while supporting the architectural intent of the design.

The outcome:

✔ Preserved architectural intent

✔ Met wind load and dead load requirements

✔ Maintained thermal performance across the assembly

With project-specific engineering by Knight Wall Systems, we were able to back this custom solution with our 10-Year Limited Warranty, helping provide confidence that the system will perform as intended over the building’s lifetime.  Projects like this demonstrate how collaboration between architects, engineers, and manufacturers can unlock greater design flexibility while still meeting the realities of modern building performance.  If your next project includes unique façade conditions or custom support requirements, visit our page to connect with our team and start the conversation early.