At the corner of Chicago Avenue and Howard Street is where you’re greeted with luxury and elegance. Evanston Gateway, just steps away from Chicago, is an apartment complex that brings together boutique living and accessibility. The residences feature modern, premium finishes, while the building itself encompasses a rooftop deck, offering endless views of Lake Michigan’s shoreline and Chicago’s iconic skyline.

The exterior showcases over 27,000 square feet of Omega-Lite ACM panels in various custom colors, including 13,560 square feet of metallic jade green mica, 4,480 square feet of nature’s gift, 6,108 square feet of metallic silver mica and 1,344 square feet of light gray. The architects from Level Architecture, LLC, in Chicago chose Omega-Lite panels not only because they offer a highly decorative, strong and durable surface finish for exterior wall surfaces, but also because of the short lead times, as well as no set minimum quantities for the custom colors. Omega-Lite panels are composed of a polypropylene, corrugated core between two finished aluminum sheets. They are non-absorbent, water-resistant and easy to maintain.

Valdex of Niles, Illinois, installed the ACM panels using Laminators’ “Legacy Version” of its One-Piece, Tight-Fit Molding installation system. This proprietary system made the panel installation simple using durable, one-piece moldings—both “H” and “Reveal H” moldings are available—providing two different design options for the panel joints. A traditional yet high-tech appearance was obtained at an affordable cost for all involved. Overseeing the construction was the general contractor, LG Construction & Development Group of Chicago.

The “Legacy” field-fabricated installation systems are ideal for various architectural features, as well as when building codes do not require the high performance designed in Laminators’ back-drained and ventilated systems. Laminators’ One-Piece, Tight-Fit Molding Legacy installation system can be used over plywood (structural) or non-structural (gypsum) sheathing and also addresses National Fire Protection Association 285 compliance.

Laminators’ Omega-Lite panels installed with the One-Piece, Tight-Fit system guaranteed Evanston Gateway a Class A fire rating, as well as met NFPA 285, Miami-Dade County Product Control and Florida Product Approval requirements. Laminators Inc. manufactures high-quality ACM panels that meet these stringent performance levels and provide design professionals and building owners with the confidence that their cladding will withstand the most extreme conditions.