Athens High School, Athens, Texas
RETROFIT TEAM
- ARCHITECT: Claycomb Associates Architects, Dallas
- WALL PANEL INSTALLER: Heritage One Roofing, Dallas
MATERIALS
The existing high school was split between two buildings that were separated by distance and elevation, explains George DeJohn, project architect/manager, Claycomb Associates Architects. “As part of the additions we bridged this gap between buildings so students could walk indoors continuously between spaces. We also had an opportunity to create a new main entrance that was clearly visible and give the entire school a new modern façade.”
To create the modern design, metal was chosen. Metal also provided a medium on which to prominently feature the school’s custom maroon color on the building’s new main entrance. “The main entrance was highlighted with a large protruding wall clad with maroon metal composite panels,” DeJohn says. “The wall serves as a waypoint for visitors to find the front door and also emphasizes the district brand with the school color. The white and silver metal panels near the entrance and throughout the rest of the exterior serve as a backdrop that help makes the maroon panels stand out.”
Installed on the school were 10,800 square feet of 24-gauge 12-inch PAC-CLAD Flush Panels in White and Silver finish; 17,500 square feet of 24-gauge 12-inch Flush Soffit panels in White finish; and 5,500 square feet of PAC-3000CS Composite Panel finished in custom maroon color on the school sign and big red wall.
Although cost of the metal panels was questioned, the investment was made for the metal’s ability to create a different look and to signify something special. “Metal was chosen for soffits and walls to break up the school’s façade with something other than brick and for its durability,” DeJohn notes.
PAC-3000CS is a metal composite material, also known as aluminum composite material (ACM). The square shapes created by the reveal joints in the ACM panels, not the metal itself, create a modern look for the school, DeJohn explains.
In addition, PAC-CLAD Flush Panels were specified to be installed vertically at different locations around the building, which helped create an oversized fascia around the perimeter. The most prominent usage was around all sides of the upper levels of the gymnasium.
The school’s main entrance and the sign in front of the building are curved, which presented challenges for the Heritage One Roofing team, which installed the panels. “The ACM panels went up, over and down the back side of the sign so the top panel had to be tapered because the sign is wider in the back. It worked out well because the panel fabrication was spot on,” explains Dwayne Maynard, superintendent, project manager and estimator for Heritage One Roofing. “On the walls surrounding the main entrance, the length of the trim pieces had to be adjusted to accommodate the building’s curve but that worked out fine, too.”
Soffits around the main entrance also were curved, which meant Maynard’s team had to pie-piece the panels together. “We calculated where to put the joints and lined them up with lighting fixtures. We worked with the owner a lot on this, who had the last say on design aspects, colors and joints. The architect was involved, too, and ultimately the plan was approved,” Maynard recalls.
METAL PANEL MANUFACTURER: Petersen
PHOTO: BuenaVistaPhotography.com