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Manatee Technical Institute, with its main campus in Bradenton, Fla., offers post-secondary adult, career and technical education at its four Florida campuses. The Institute celebrated its 50th anniversary in a new state-of-the-art facility in blue, gray and silver reminiscent of its namesake, the manatee or “sea cow,” a big, bulbous plant-eating mammal famous for its graceful movement and friendliness. The heart of the 215,000-square-foot building is its two-story lobby and a staircase made with panels of metal mesh from Banker Wire, Mukwonago, Wis.
Banker Wire’s M13Z-309 mesh is made of long, straight sections of horizontally oriented wire woven together with tight groupings of three vertically oriented wires. The triple-wire bands run parallel to royal blue posts positioned at every two panels. The posts’ color and matte finish contrast with the shiny modern look of the metal mesh. The custom mesh metal panels were manufactured with special attention to repeatability and consistency, as well as exact sizing to fit the railing system, thereby reducing costs. “Everyone takes the stairs, and everyone walks across the balcony,” says Sarah Colandro, director of interior design for building architect Fawley|Bryant of Sarasota, Fla. “The Banker Wire product adds a beautiful detail to those spaces.”