From Realtà Mapei n° 28 - 7/1/2020

Peachy Projects

With Georgian hospitality, MAPEI provides solutions for Atlanta projects

Culture, architecture and urban design collide to produce a city on the cutting edge, which could well describe Atlanta. MAPEI’s wide-ranging systems of products have been used to waterproof, level, strengthen and add elegant finishes to five fabulous new projects in Atlanta and the rural suburb of Canton.

The Arbor at BridgeMill – Canton, GA, USA

Overview: The Arbor at BridgeMill is a luxurious senior living community newly constructed in Canton. The expansive campus offers several state-of-the-art residences totaling 28 private cottages, 130 resort-style apartments and on-site amenities including a theater, hair salon/barber shop, pool and spa, bistro café, restaurant, private dining lounges, fitness center and more. MAPEI’s extensive selection of installation products helped to fast-track installations and remedied failures caused by moisture intrusion.

The overall concept of The Arbor is for residents to “age in place.” As their care needs change, they can progress to alternative living options within the complex.

There are three levels of living at The Arbor: Independent living apartments or cottages, Assisted Living, and Total Care. Aspire Development Partners designed the community to accommodate retiring baby boomers, empty nesters and previous homeowners who would like the assistance that senior facilities provide without losing the essence of independence. Each of the spacious cottages features an open-concept floor plan, resort-style living rooms and walk-in closets. The multi-entryway bathrooms feature “zero-entry” (barrier-free) walk-in showers to eliminate incidence of falls or slippage.

In the bathrooms, the team used Mapelastic AquaDefense to waterproof shower pans along with Mapelastic CI for crack isolation on the floors. The same two products were utilized in pool areas. To set the sand-colored 13" x 13" (33 x 33 cm) Daltile Cove Creek tiles in the showers, Ultraflex LHT was used, providing premium performance for a non-sag, nonslump installation. To grout the shower walls, Pro Floors installers used Ultracolor Plus FA in the “Pewter” color for its efflorescence-free application. Throughout the living rooms and kitchens of the freestanding cottages, Ultrabond ECO 962 was used to set 3" x 36" (7.5 x 91 cm) Floorfolio luxury vinyl plank. In the kitchen, the glass tile backsplash was set with Adesilex P10 Mosaic & Glass Tile. In the commercial kitchens, 8,000 sq. ft. (743 m²) of 8" x 8" (20 x 20 cm) quarry textured tiles from Daltile were set with Ultraflex LHT and grouted with Kerapoxy CQ. In commercial areas, Ultrabond ECO 711 and Ultrabond ECO 575 adhesives were also used. Along the way, failures caused by moisture intrusion were solved by using Planiseal MSP, a moisture-control membrane and self-leveling primer with fast-track technology. And differentials with foundation walls in pool areas were resolved with Mapecem Quickpatch.

Mercedes-Benz USA Headquarters – Atlanta, GA, USA

Overview: MAPEI products for self-leveling, resilient flooring installation and grouting were used to help construct Mercedes-Benz USA, the new company headquarters in Atlanta. The three-story, 200,000-square-foot (18 581 m²) building will house marketing, sales, customer service, accounting and other functions.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) has joined a lengthy list of Fortune 500 companies in the Atlanta area, including Delta Air Lines, Aflac, UPS and Home Depot. Founded in 1926, Mercedes-Benz has become a brand renowned for luxury, living up to its well-suited slogan, “The best or nothing.”

The site of the new USA headquarters projects a low profile, finding balance between the surrounding mid-rise office developments, the low urban scale residential neighborhood and Perimeter Mall. MBUSA’s subtle, windshield-like glass exterior is adorned with a massive replication of the unmistakable insignia stamped high above the entryway. Inspired by transparency, availability and sociability, MBUSA President and CEO Dietmar Exler explained that “the idea of the building is cooperation and working together.” The emphasis on creating communal work areas led the architectural firm Gensler to design exposed offices and collaborative workspaces in multifunctional rooms.

The three-story building comprises floor-to-ceiling windows, full glass facades, high ceilings, open-concept floor plans and balconies overlooking an expansive atrium. To begin work, installers used Planipatch and Ultraplan 1 Plus to flatten the substrate and level the floors. Ultrabond ECO 810 was applied underneath modern gray, black and white striped 24" x 24" (61 x 61 cm) Migrate and Color Form carpet tiles from Shaw. The core of the building is the atrium, which doubles as a cafeteria and informal meeting area. In this area, and leading to the adjoining commercial kitchen, Keracolor S in “Avalanche” color was used to grout white 6" x 36" (15 x 91 cm) Starker Porcelain tiles by Unicom. In several bathrooms, Keracolor S was also applied to marbled floors, walls, the mosaic tiles in showers and the backsplashes in break rooms. The lowest level of the building houses a state-of-the-art fitness center. Ultrabond ECO 575 was used to install 13,000 linear feet (3 962 m) of Johnsonite Rubber Wall Base in the gym, providing easy cleanability. The Mercedes-Benz USA headquarters officially opened in 2018.

Piedmont House – Atlanta, GA, USA

Overview: A full system of MAPEI products was used to construct an impressive, new high-rise tower in Midtown Atlanta. The Atlanta Midtown Alliance joined forces with Wood Partners to develop Piedmont House, formerly known as Alta at the Park. Located adjacent to Atlanta’s Piedmont Park, the 22-story, 300,000- square-foot (27 871 m²) apartment development features 198 penthouse-inspired residences, 2,500 sq. ft. (232 m²) of retail space and a shared parking garage. The living area begins on the seventh floor, sitting atop a six-story parking garage.

The architectural design by Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio, LLC reflects elegance and beauty, down to the detail of including a baby grand piano and wine lounge. The complex also includes premium amenities on the seventh floor and a second amenity space on the 22nd-floor rooftop with a spectacular view of Piedmont Park. Piedmont Park has a long and varied history, but its most historic moment was as host of the Cotton States and International Exposition in 1895. Since then, the park has become a destination for special events, festivals, concerts and much more.

It is no coincidence that the landscape of Piedmont Park evokes thoughts of New York’s Central Park. The sons of famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted designed the master plan for rejuvenating the park, as they have for Grant Park (Chicago, IL), Prospect Park (Brooklyn, NY), and the gardens of the United States Capitol and the White House.

MAPEI products were used to set all the tile and wood flooring, including double-stick applications of Ultrabond ECO 975 used to adhere a sound-control underlayment. In the urban-inspired lobby, Ultraflex LHT was used to set contemporary 12" x 36" (30 x 91 cm) Borneo Blue tiles on the entry walls. This particular tile style will be unique to this high-rise because this tile style has subsequently been discontinued. The floors and 15-foot-high (4.57 m) walls were also set with Ultraflex LHT and tiled with 24" x 24" (61 x 61 cm) Concrete Black Lappato, black and Lappato white tiles special-delivered by air from Spain.

Each apartment features a chef-inspired kitchen, engineered hardwood flooring (which extends to the living areas), Bosch stainless-steel appliances and quartz countertops. To amplify these elements, Strada Mist Veincut Marble polished mosaic tiles were set with Ultraflex LHT and grouted with Ultracolor Plus FA. Bathroom floors and walls were tiled with 12" x 24" (30 x 61 cm) Interceramic Porcelain Pewter tiles.

A big draw to utilizing MAPEI products was the company’s full system offerings of mortars, grouts, adhesives and self-levelers. “The floors were poured poorly, so we used MAPEI products to level them out,” said contractor Sam Munsi. “I'm a big proponent of supplying all the materials on the job from one brand... This is why I look for full systems from MAPEI.”

Hanover Buckhead Village – Atlanta, GA, USA

Overview: Hanover Buckhead Village is a premier, ultra luxurious high-rise apartment building in Atlanta’s affluent Buckhead district. MAPEI’s systems for surface preparation, installation of flooring/tile and grouting were used throughout the modern collection of residences.

Adjacent to the historic Buckhead Theatre, this new residence is also within walking distance of top-tier restaurants and The Shops Buckhead Atlanta. The luxuriously curved tower was developed by the Houston-based Hanover Company and designed by architect Solomon Cordwell Buenz of Chicago.

The lobby’s grand entrance features a traditional marbled staircase, and white and gray marbled walls and floors in the foyer. Ultraflex LHT was used to set large 24" x 48" (61 x 122 cm) white and gray marbled Calacatta Thorntree tile on the walls, floors and grand staircase. To accomplish the marbled floor installation in the lobby, the crew prepared the subfloor with Mapeguard UM. In the corridors leading to each unit, carpet tile was also installed using Ultrabond ECO 185, which was ideal for ultra fast grab and superb bond strength.

Each residential unit features a stunning panoramic view. To ensure that the view of the city remained the focal point of the open floor plan, monochromatic colors were used throughout each room. Along with the distressed wood-look tile, 12" x 24" (30 x 61 cm) EuroMarmo Calacatta porcelain tiles were set with Ultraflex LHT and grouted with Ultracolor Plus FA in “Frost” color on the bathroom walls, bathroom floors and kitchen backsplash. In lieu of natural lighting, modern track lighting was installed above the kitchen island and counters. Additionally, in a unique and unconventional move, the entire complex utilized Ultraflex LHT mortar to set the condo number markers outside of each room.

MAPEI installation products for floor coverings and tile were used throughout the common areas, the main entryway, elevators and the lobby, as well as the 20,000 sq. ft. (1 858 m²) area of the 6th floor pool deck and pool-side cabana. The newly built high-rise emanates elegance and is sure to deliver the sophistication that residents of Buckhead have come to expect.

Nine15 Midtown Apartments – Atlanta, GA, USA

Overview: In the heart of downtown Atlanta, various MAPEI products for surface preparation, tile/carpet installation and sealing were used in building this sophisticated apartment complex on Midtown’s vibrant Peachtree Street.

At the epicenter of Atlanta’s revitalization is the historic Peachtree Street. Many of Atlanta’s most prominent buildings and landmarks are located here. Nine15 Midtown Apartments fits right into the walkable landscape of the mixed-use developments in downtown Atlanta. The design of Nine15 emphasizes green living with its energy-conserving stainless-steel appliances, clean lines, wood-style flooring and polished aesthetics. Nine15 is also on track to becoming LEED-certified, due in part to the use of MAPEI products.

As part of the green living vision, Nine15 includes its own dog-friendly, 1/2-acre (0.2-hectare) private park with secluded grilling areas. Residents can enjoy a full view of the park from the comfort of their homes, or can view the Atlanta skyline from the outdoor skydeck. Further integrating the lush outdoors into the interior, elements of nature are strategically incorporated throughout the building. Limited use of interior walls allows kitchens to seamlessly merge into living rooms. Floor-to-ceiling windows, airy cloud-colored walls, wood-look tile and glass mosaic backsplashes transform the combined space into a breathable indoor-outdoor experience.

This project called for a wide variety of products. For surface preparation, MAPEI’s 4 to 1 Mud Bed Mix was used in the showers in conjunction with Mapelastic AquaDefense to waterproof the tub surrounds and showers. Ultraflex 2 was used to set bathroom tiles from Shaw Floors’ Elegance collection, resulting in a glossy and sleek finish that allows the modernized rainfall shower head and chrome accessories to be the focal points in the bathrooms. Adesilex P10 Mosaic & Glass Tile mortar was used to set the translucent Random Linear Mosaic tiles by Elysium in the kitchen and bathrooms. For the finishing touch, UltraCare Grout Sealer provided protection against common stains without altering the color of grout joints. Ultrabond ECO 360 was used underneath carpet tile, from Mannington’s Connected collection, which filled offices, common areas, closets and bedrooms. Nine15 Midtown is now open to residents.