Sep 3 2007
When thousands of visitors flocked to the official opening of Ave Maria, Fla., in late July, many of their most enthusiastic comments were about the brand new town's appealing architecture, which evokes the charm of Italy's hill towns with a soaring 100-foot oratory overlooking a central piazza. Yet despite their historic feel and Old World charm, Ave Maria's public buildings are actually highly advanced, taking advantage of some of today's most innovative technology including a remarkable energy-saving wall coating system.
"The look is clean, classic and beautiful, but the technology is cutting edge in terms of energy savings," said Jay Haines, president and chief executive officer of Textured Coatings of America, Inc., which supplied the TEX•COTE® SUPER•COTE™ COOLWALL Systems® for the new town's public buildings. "The COOLWALL System® is an innovative infrared reflective wall coating that takes advantage of some of today's most advanced energy-saving technology," Haines said. "While the new town of Ave Maria has a very traditional and charming atmosphere, it is actually one of the most environmentally innovative communities in the country."
That innovation is consistent with the vision that was the original inspiration for Ave Maria, which is not only Florida's newest town but also the permanent home of the first Catholic University to be built in the U.S. in more than 40 years. From the outset, the university's founder, Thomas G. Monaghan, envisioned the surrounding town as an environmentally responsible, self-sustaining community. The new coating technology offers significant long-term advantages to the town, ranging from reduced air-conditioning costs to extended life span with minimal maintenance. The heat-reflective coating system has been applied to a variety of new buildings in Ave Maria, including the university library, gymnasium and physical plant, as well as a variety of other public and commercial buildings. "As Ave Maria continues to grow and add new structures, the designers are continuing to specify the COOLWALL System® for their buildings," said Haines.
A recent series of tests by the U.S. Department of Energy spanning a two-year period found the COOLWALL® coating's heat reflective finish can reduce exterior wall temperatures and therefore decrease interior cooling costs by up to 22 percent when compared to traditional paints and coatings in the same color.
Textured Coatings of America's COOLWALL Systems® can be applied to virtually any type of surface including stucco, wood, masonry and fiber cement. The coatings are offered in 570 heat reflective colors, which sold exclusively through qualified dealers and contractors throughout the United States.