Malden Mills, Daylight From Ashes

Nearly 100 years ago, the Arlington Mills complex in Lawrence, Massachusetts, was destroyed by a devastating fire. Before the embers were cool, the mill owners called in the bricklayers and reconstruction began. No one gave it a second thought; the mill would continue to operate and local residents would continue to be employed.

Fast forward to December 11, 1995. Once again that site in Lawrence, now operated as Malden Mills, was devastated by fire. In what has been called the worst fire in Massachusetts this century, three key buildings out of 10 of the Malden Mills complex were completely destroyed; only a scorched five-story brick tower stood sentinel over the twisted girders and blackened rubble. Malden Mills is the highly successful manufacturer of Polartec® and Polarfleece® fabrics, in addition to upholstery fabrics, and the largest employer in Lawrence. Their unique fabrics are highly regarded by manufacturers of garments around the world and have a tremendous consumer following. But now their dye house was destroyed and the production of a million yards of fabric a week had stopped. More than 1,400 people were out of work, 75% of the total Malden Mills work force. More than 750,000-square feet of Victorian-era mill was destroyed. In an era of downsizing, mergers, relocations and closing, most doubted the site of the old mill would be rejuvenated. How could the owner, Aaron Feuerstein, at age 71, be expected to rebuild? What executive would not seize the opportunity to retire, relocate or close down?

Life From The Ashes
Once again, before the ashes cooled, the mill's owner announced it would be rebuilt. And even more surprising was Mr. Feuerstein's announcement, just weeks before the holiday season, that the employees would remain on the payroll, during construction, until there was work for them. Mr. Feuerstein has received international attention from the media and cover-page articles inspired by his decision to rebuild and retain his work force. From interviews on network television, to cover stories in leading magazines, attendance at the State-of-the-Union Address and countless guest appearances with academic, civic and business groups, Mr. Feuerstein sums it all up, somewhat in disbelief, "Everything I did after the fire was in keeping with the ethical standards I've tried to maintain my entire life, so it's surprising we've gotten so much attention. Whether I deserve it or not, I guess I became a symbol of what the average worker would like corporate America to be in a time when the American dream has been pretty badly injured.

Both Mr. Feuerstein and his wife, Louise, have taken great care in overseeing the design and construction of an impressive new 500,000-square-foot plant. This most technically advanced mill in the world will replace the three destroyed buildings, yet will be able to accommodate 30% more capacity. Mrs. Feuerstein, who personally signed-off on all the plans, runs the Glenn Street Studio, a division of Malden Mills that designs and manufacturers jacquard velvet upholstery fabrics.

Malden Mills and the Feuersteins had already established a successful relationship with Bechtel Frank Erickson Architects, Inc. of Lexington, Massachusetts. "After earlier projects," says firm principal-in-charge, Gerard Frank, AIA, "we already understood their operating philosophy so it was especially quick for us to bring their wishes to life. We were presented with two distinct visions for the new facility's image, to which the design has addressed itself in order to reconcile and assimilate both views. The first version was for the new facility to be a complete imitation of those nineteenth century brick structures that were lost and those that remain on campus. The second view was for a more contemporary synthesis of the rhythm, scale and texture of the existing mill structures, but reflective of the time in which the building is being constructed and indicative of the state- of-the-art design of the processing envisioned inside the building. The new building addresses major issues of context, material, scale and image in a manner that supports the tradition of the mill campus and the newest technology."

According to Mrs. Feuerstein, "Factory buildings built today are very miserable looking. No windows. Metal siding. Whatever is cheapest." The Feuersteins seized the opportunity to turn the tragic fire into the opportunity for a better workplace for their employees. The new building will be more efficient and easily accommodate expansion. Their criteria will be met by a building that compliments the surrounding structures, has good ventilation, air quality control, state-of-the art equipment and good lighting; not just lots of artificial lights, but natural daylight.

The living remains of the original structure is the multi-story stair tower which anchors the southwest corner of the building at the main entrance. A translucent Kalwall Curtainwall wraps nearly the entire structure, surrounded by complementary brick, stonework and glass. A large barrel vault with translucent ends, with metal roof clad in cast stone, spans the entire 375' depth from front to back to house the numerous mechanical roof-top elements. The original long and narrow, four-story footprint has been updated to an "L" shaped, two-story building divided into various bays averaging 32' x 28' in size. This "modular" bay concept affords maximum flexibility and optimum productivity as manufacturing and process flows change with advances in technology. With ceiling heights of 30', towering machinery is easily accommodated in the high-bay areas. A 16-bay loading dock area provides adequate space for increases in both inbound and outbound shipments.

The surrounding neighborhood is occupied by turn-of-the-century, red brick, Victorian mill buildings. According to Frank, "We chose a variety and sophistication of materials: red brick, granite and concrete block; materials similar to those used in the older structures. On the exterior, brick is used to recall the texture of the adjacent mill buildings as two screen walls facing the street and opposite the river. Ground block, cast stone, sections of Kalwall and metal windows are set in layers behind the brick facade articulating the hierarchical, volumetric and layered organization of the plan."

Plenty of daylight was a critical element of the Feuerstein's vision for the new building. While the original mill buildings had tall, closely spaced windows to let in light, they also let in cold drafts and harsh glare, and were expensive to maintain. At the suggestion of Bechtel Frank Erickson, and after visits to similar sites in New England, Kalwall Corporation of Manchester, New Hampshire, was chosen to supply translucent curtainwalls for the new building.

Natural Daylight's Positive Effects
Old mill buildings can be dark and dreary. The Feuersteins wanted as much light in the building as possible. It has been proven that natural daylight has a positive effect on people. People are more productive, happier and even healthier in a bright, naturally lighted atmosphere. Kalwall's unique technology actually brings usable daylight deep into the building. Under bright sunlight, it converts harsh glare and shadows into a uniformly balanced, diffuse lighting source. In a Kalwall system, any combination of interior/exterior translucent faces result in light transmission ranges from 3% to 74% and shading coefficients from 1.0 to under 0.04. Bechtel Frank Erickson specified light transmission of 20% for the Malden Mills translucent curtainwalls. Millions of glass fibers within the faces of each translucent panel transform even the lowest levels of daylight into evenly balanced illumination. Even on overcast days, Kalwall fills the interior with a wash of warm, balanced light. "Our daylight vision has been realized, thanks to Kalwall," says Mrs. Feuerstein. "Malden Mills is like a big family where we value and appreciate the contributions of every individual. The daylight creates an uplifting, positive atmosphere for everyone."

Preassembled, Pre-finished Curtainwalls
According to David McCormick, Director of Corporate Facilities Engineering for Malden Mills, "This is a hyper, fast-track job. The entire beginning process normally would have taken 6 to 9 months, but the preliminary design was completed in about two months and the first concrete was poured four months after the fire. Normally, you would wait until the building was finished; but in December we began testing new, state-of-the-art equipment that had already been moved in before the roof was completely installed." Kalwall's factory-assembled and pre-finished curtainwall system was delivered to the site in sections for quick and efficient installation. McCormick continues, "The dye house was up and running again in February, only 14 months after the fire, with construction continuing around us."

Saves Energy
Heating and cooling are of great concern in the unairconditioned 500,000-square-foot mill. According to Frank, "To utilize the Kalwall System to its potential, we specified a 'U' factor of .23 thermally broken." Transparent glass suffers from unmanageable glare, shadows and overheating on bright, sunny days and inefficient heat loss in cold weather. All of which put a high energy load on HVAC systems. Kalwall systems control solar heat transmission to minimize heat gain for passive solar applications by insulating up to 4 times more efficiently than double glazing.

The Kalwall System is comprised of a unique structural composite sandwich panel formed by permanently bonding specially formulated, fiberglass-reinforced translucent faces to a grid core constructed of interlocked, extruded structural aluminum or composite I-beams. The resulting panels, either curved or flat, can be infilled with various densities of translucent spun glass insulation "batts" during the factory manufacturing process. In the standard 2-3/4" (70 mm) panels, "U" factor options range from .53 to as low as .18; in its new thermally broken panel, performance can be as low as .10, as tested and/or computer modeled according to NFRC-100 Attachment A procedures as endorsed by the Department of Energy for maximum energy efficiency and reliability.

Condensation Control
The entire curtainwall in the Malden Mills plant is thermally broken. In addition to providing improved "U" factor performance, Kalwall's thermal break technology offers maximum energy efficiency and ultimate condensation control. According to McCormick, "Because of the large amount of glazing, we were concerned about condensation. Our manufacturing process is extremely sensitive to the air's moisture content. Kalwall's thermally broken panels allow us to enjoy the natural daylight without worrying about condensation. And their engineers did a very good job in helping us specify the optimum panels." On cold New England days, the inside of the Kalwall actually feels neutral to the touch. The contact temperature of the panel is a function of the near neutral thermal conductivity of the material.

Low Maintenance
Kalwall is shatterproof, vandal-resistant and virtually maintenance-free. Known for its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio and structural integrity, it has withstood the harshest conditions in every climate, literally withstanding hurricane force winds. Kalwall's exterior is made with innovative super-weathering and colorfast resins the full thickness. Standard to exteriors is a permanent glass veil erosion barrier which prevents "fiber bloom", assuring like-new appearance for decades to come.

Complete Design Flexibility
Kalwall accommodates building designers and owners who wish to incorporate advanced technologies and proven applications of energy-efficient, natural daylighting into their buildings. Kalwall is available in a variety of standard and specialty colors. For Malden Mills, Bechtel Frank Erickson chose crystal face panels for the exterior and white interior faces, coordinated with factory-applied bone white trim to compliment windows in the surrounding nineteenth century mill buildings and to harmonize with the overall scheme.

The Warm Glow of a "Living Building"
While Kalwall was chosen primarily for its translucent properties, ease of installation and state-of-the-art technology, an added benefit is night time visibility. The interior lighting literally radiates through the Kalwall to create a dramatic exterior glow that adds a welcoming illumination to the neighborhood. Malden Mills is a distinguishing presence in the predominantly mill towns of Lawrence and Methuen, Massachusetts. Says Frank, "The building will be lit up all night. Its warm, inviting glow will be very unlike the glow from the fire. This will be the glowing warmth of a 'living building', reflecting the company's philosophy." The new mill will be a testament to the Feuersteins and to their employees who have lived and worked in the area for generations.

For more information, contact:
Bruce Keller
Kalwall Corporation
1-800-258-9777

Architect: Bechtel Frank Erickson Architects, Inc.
Photography: Wheeler Photographics