A 71,000-sf elementary school was recently constructed in Erie, Colo.; Red Hawk Elementary was developed as an addition to the St. Vrain Valley School District.
According to Ken Field, principal architect at RB+B Architects Inc., the design for Red Hawk Elementary School stems from the desire to create a vibrant place for kids to learn.
The approach to create this type of environment centers around a central space that is connected to all parts of the school and allows for multiple ways of interaction amongst and between students and teachers.
In an effort to achieve this design, RB+B Architects selected Nichiha USA to provide a durable yet modern, contemporary exterior finish. In addition to the modern look of the panels, the ability to have vast color options were a great concern to the architects when deciding on what product to use. Nichiha met all of their requirements.
The architects chose Nichiha’s Illumination Series panels in a marigold color finish. This product was designed with a well-developed patented clipping system; the smooth large panels made for a trouble-free, quick installation at a cost-effective price.
Challenge: To design a modern, vibrant place for kids to learn.
Solution: Nichiha’s Illumination Series panels made for a trouble-free, quick installation at a cost-effective price. Nichiha’s products are designed for long-term wear and tear, a perfect solution for a school setting.
Results: Having vast color option was important to RB+B when deciding on what product to use. Nichiha’s fiber cement panel system combined with the Nichiha's Color Xpressions System provided the architects a high-performance product that included a wide color range.
“This project continues to illustrate the changing perception within the building and architectural communities of specifying fiber cement panels for educational facilities. Nichiha’s panels are quickly becoming products of choice for similar educational developments across the country; providing a low-maintenance product that has a contemporary, welcoming appearance,” says Doug Kennard, territory manager for Nichiha. “Nichiha’s Illumination Series panels are ideal for new educational facilities like Red Hawk Elementary School. Our products are easy to install and create sustainable, sophisticated looking buildings.”
As inspiration for this space, the design team at RB+B Architects studied urban scenes during street festivals. During festivals, buildings on each side of the street frame the central space where multiple pavilions of vibrant colors and shapes are installed. The most important aspect of this scene is the movement of people. Their ability to weave in and around pavilions and buildings is a joyful part of experiencing the festival and became the central theme for the elementary design.
Architect: RB+B Architects
Location: Erie, Colorado
Project type: New construction
Product: Illumination Series panels
Project features:
- Modern, contemporary exterior finish
- Color Xpressions System
- Durability
- Quick installation
- Low-maintenance
- Sustainability
- Cost savings
“The Illumination Series panels from Nichiha were a great fit for Red Hawk Elementary for many reasons. However, the size of the panels, the ability to order them in almost any color, and the ease of installation were the deciding factors for using them,” says Jason Kersley, project architect with RB+B Architects.
The partnership created with RB+B Architects and the St. Vrain Valley School District is a great representation on Nichiha’s continued commitment to the educational design community. Nichiha is excited to be part of such a fast growing design community and is looking forward to educating other architects on the benefits and advancements of utilizing fiber cement products for upcoming developments. BD+C
Related Stories
| Sep 24, 2014
Architecture billings see continued strength, led by institutional sector
On the heels of recording its strongest pace of growth since 2007, there continues to be an increasing level of demand for design services signaled in the latest Architecture Billings Index.
| Sep 24, 2014
Frank Gehry's first building in Latin America will host grand opening on Oct. 2
Gehry's design for the Biomuseo, or Museum of Biodiversity, draws inspiration from the site's natural and cultural surroundings, including local Panamaian tin roofs.
| Sep 23, 2014
Cedars-Sinai looks to streamline trauma care with first-of-its-kind OR360 simulation space
The breakthrough simulation center features moveable walls and a modular ceiling grid that allow doctors and military personnel to easily reconfigure the shape and size of the space.
| Sep 23, 2014
Third phase of New York’s High Line redevelopment opens
The $35 million Phase 3, known as High Line at the Rail Yards, broke ground September 20, 2012, and officially opened to the public on September 21.
| Sep 23, 2014
Cloud-shaped skyscraper complex wins Shenzhen Bay Super City design competition
Forget the cubist, clinical, glass and concrete jungle of today's financial districts. Shenzhen's new plan features a complex of cloud-shaped skyscrapers connected to one another with sloping bridges.
| Sep 23, 2014
Designing with Water: Report analyzes ways coastal cities can cope with flooding
The report contains 12 case studies of cities around the world that have applied advanced flood management techniques.
| Sep 22, 2014
4 keys to effective post-occupancy evaluations
Perkins+Will's Janice Barnes covers the four steps that designers should take to create POEs that provide design direction and measure design effectiveness.
| Sep 22, 2014
NCARB overhauls Intern Development Program, cuts years off licensure process
The newly adopted changes will be implemented in two phases. The first will streamline the program by focusing on the IDP’s core requirements and removing its elective requirements. The second phase will condense the 17 current experience areas into six practice-based categories.
| Sep 22, 2014
Biloxi’s new Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum is like a ship in a bottle
Nine years after the Museum of Maritime and Seafood Industry in Biloxi, Miss., was damaged by Hurricane Katrina’s 30-foot tidal surge, the museum reopened its doors in a brand new, H3-designed building.
| Sep 22, 2014
Swanke-designed Eurasia Tower opens in Moscow
The 72-story tower—the first mixed-use, steel tower in Russia—is located within the new, 30 million-sf, 148-acre Moscow International Business Center.
