The National Frame Building Association is dedicated to supporting the interests of the post-frame construction industry. You may wonder who or what could possibly threaten the interests of an entire industry. Over the past three decades, NFBA has steadfastly worked to clear obstacles to the erection of post-frame structures that have surfaced throughout the country.

Post-frame is a realtive newcomer to the modern commercial construction sector in North America, and it has many short and long-term advantages over other types of construction, so it should not come as a great surprise that detractors have surfaced and questions have been raised. Despite a history of confronting challenges to our industry, post-frame has nevertheless continued to thrive and has even increased its market share despite economic declines that have left the rest of the construction industry struggling to break even.

This record of growth would not have been possible had NFBA not addressed building codes and other regulations. But for this article I'd like to focus specifically on aesthetic considerations. A challenge post-frame contractors have faced over the past several decades is the “zone out” initiatives that have sprung up in some localities.

Many of these arise out of ignorance. Post-frame is less widely known than other types of construction. When I tell friends that I work with the National Frame Building Association, many first assume that the association represents “framers.” When I explain that we represent the post-frame construction industry, many respond with “Post-frame construction — what’s that?”

Many people simply think of a plain "pole barn” when they try to imagine a post-frame structure. As many builders know, post-frame certainly no longer means "pole barns." Post-frame is now a construction method of choice for any number of different residential, commercial, retail, industrial, religious, and public buildings, and it uses modern engineering and innovations that put it a world apart from the "pole barns" of the past.

Unfortunately, some people on local regulatory bodies throughout the U.S. feel they are performing a public service by rewriting zoning regulations to exclude post-frame structures. They convince others they don’t want “pole barns” in their neighborhood or township, so they zone out post-frame construction — without realizing that today’s post-frame structures are a far cry from the “pole barns” of yesterday. Although countless beautiful structures have been built utilizing post-frame construction, some people generalize barns as unsightly structures for animals that belong only in rural areas. They don’t want “ugly barns” in their neighborhood, so they simply zone out all post-frame construction.

Although post-frame design was pioneered for agricultural buildings, the number of commercial and retail applications for post-frame has exploded. Countless structures are now erected using post-frame methods, including strip malls, convenience stores, restaurants, office complexes, and many other types of retail, public, commercial, and residential applications. Schools, churches, fire stations, airplane hangars, and many other kinds of structures may be erected using post-frame design.

Post-frame accomodates unique siding and roofing options to meet anyone's taste, as illustrated by this strip mall built in Indiana.

A wide variety of materials never envisioned by industry forefathers are now routinely incorporated into post-frame design. So many types of materials may be used on the facade, one may easily mistake a post-frame structure for another kind of building. Today it makes little difference whether the building purchaser favors the aesthetics of wood siding, brick, or stucco; virtually any look is possible with post-frame. They are aesthetically pleasing and durable structures that are typically easier on the eye than other commercial buildings.

There have been disturbing allegations that in some localities, zone-out initiatives are the direct or indirect result of collusion by members of other construction sectors. Specifically, the NFBA has received information regarding an elected municipal official who sought to zone out post-frame buildings. Coincidentally or not, the official’s brother-in-law owned a company that constructed cement block buildings.

We have also reviewed websites posted by producers of steel buildings that claim post-frame construction is completely unacceptable as a permanent building structure. Such allegations are promoted by post-frame building competitors despite the fact that professional engineers agree that contemporary post-frame buildings are highly engineered, code conforming, and proven to be excellent permanent structures.

NFBA presents an annual Building of the Year award at the association’s annual convention, Frame Building Expo. We get many wonderful photos of beautiful buildings for the annual competition, including handsome homes, majestic churches, tidy and efficient public buildings, and more.

Professional engineer Ron Sutton is a design professional and member of the NFBA Technical and ResearchCommittee. According to Sutton, “We regularly design and build churches and other buildings using a wide variety of building materials, including wood, brick, stone, and many other building products. The features of post-frame design allow us to incorporate flexibility so we may employ architectural enhancements of all kinds to achieve the desired appearance.”

Sutton notes that post-frame construction methods are often selected for many high-profile buildings. Post-frame design methods have been used for banks, real estate offices, medical offices, insurance agencies, funeral homes, and other professional buildings, due largely to the architectural flexibility of post-frame design. An architect who submitted one Building of the Year application used post-frame methods to design his house, citing the fact that he could incorporate more diverse architectural features than with any other type of construction.

Sutton participated in the design of the Meadowview church in Lexington, N.C.

“Whenever I think of aesthetic enhancement, I think of the wide array of materials that are out there,” says Sutton. “Post-frame lends itself easily to provide overhangs, dormers, cupolas, bay windows, decks, parapet walls and many other things that are not easily done with traditional wood, masonry, and metal construction. You may use any type of exterior fascia, such as brick masonry and stone, vinyl, steel, or wood siding.”

Any type of roof covering, such as composite or cedar shake shingle, slate, tile, metal, and other membranes may be used. It is easy to select any roof pitch, and you can even install “low-slope” roof decks upon which any roofing system may be installed.

This story and those that follow it are part of the Post-Frame Advantage series that aims to explore, in-depth, why post-frame makes sense for just about any type of low-rise construction application. The stories will show that post-frame is long-lasting, code-compliant, and energy-efficient. They will show that post-frame is a great choice for churches, garages, public buildings, schools, airplane hanagars, storage buildings, retail buildings, industrial facilities and more.

This story was written by John Fullerton and originally appeared Frame Building News magazine, the official publication of the National Frame Building Association. To subscribe to Frame Building News, please visit www.FrameBuildingNews.com.