Banker Wire Mesh Performs Elegantly in Chicago Luxury High-Rise Apartment

MUKWONAGO, WI—DECEMBER 10, 2015—After a year of design renovations, a unit in a well-known high-rise apartment building in the heart of downtown Chicago has received a makeover – in part thanks to Banker Wire’s architectural mesh. The apartment features the most luxurious of amenities, and the design team at Becker Architects was faced with the challenge of creating minimalist, yet elegant wall panels to conceal both mechanical equipment and an elaborate home control system.

Boasting functionality and beauty, Banker Wire mesh was the perfect option to cover these systems. Since the control system generates an excess of heat, regular solid doors or enclosures were not an option. Banker Wire’s S-12 mid-fill woven wire mesh provided openings large enough to allow for proper air circulation and small enough to obscure equipment details. The mesh was used in multiple panels, each identical and spanning two feet wide and eight feet tall in the apartment’s hallway. The panels conceal air handlers and permit return air to flow unrestricted.

“The mesh panels weren’t just aesthetic – they resolved a number of functional issues efficiently and elegantly,” says Richard Becker, President of Becker Architects. “They beautifully complement other minimalist details in the apartment, and we couldn’t be happier with the outcome.”

Becker Architects specified Banker Wire’s woven wire mesh for the Alpi Recon veneer paneling because Banker had the highest-quality product and best customer service. They received an array of competitor products to sample, but preferred the Banker designs.

“After our tour of the facility to see how the product was made, there was no doubt Banker Wire was our first choice to furnish this decorative component,” says Becker. “We were impressed by their product quality control, expertise, and overall hospitality during the tour.”

The apartment owner was thrilled with the outcome of the mesh panel installation, as Becker Architects and Banker Wire were able to turn something problematic and unattractive into an art-like design element.

Becker Architects have since specified Banker Wire in another high-profile project, and will be using Banker Wire woven wire mesh exclusively in all their design-related projects from this point on.

The private Chicago residence was completed in fall 2014. The project team also included general contractor Twenty 9, Inc., Highland Park, IL and MadeRight Cabinets, North Chicago, IL. Construction took one year to complete, with designers and architects visiting the site weekly to finish within the allotted timeframe.

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About Banker Wire
Banker Wire is the world’s leading manufacturer of woven and welded wire mesh for architectural and industrial applications. With the most modern and productive mill in the U.S., Banker Wire provides custom-weaved material for any aesthetic on any scale – from intricate design highlights to expansive building facades. Founded in 1896, Banker Wire’s manufacturing expertise has been refined for more than a century, bringing unmatched customization, quality, and service to customers. State-of-the-art grid welding equipment provide a wide variety of wire alloy, spacing and diameter configurations, trimmed or untrimmed. For more information visit https://www.bankerwire.com.

About Architectural Woven Wire Mesh
Pre-crimped woven wire mesh is constructed of individual wires that are crimped prior to being woven together on a loom. Pre-crimping the wires provides a much higher degree of control during the weaving process. This allows for far more intricate and interesting patterns, as well as unique customization, to meet the vision of the designer. Banker Wire has refined and innovated its crimping process more than any other manufacturer, delivering more than 8,000 different spacing, diameter, and crimp combinations, plus endless customization options. As a result, Banker can make any woven wire mesh pattern imaginable – manufactured to specify for any project type.

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