The Alpha Hart Lewis Elementary School is the first new elementary school constructed in Columbia, MO in more than nine years and introduces an innovative prototype. The 69,000 sq. ft. facility is organized around a gently sweeping arc with four separate wings. Three wings consist of shared learning “pods” and the fourth wing includes administration, cafeteria and gymnasium.

The school was sited in a residential area still under development so it was critical that the building fit into its future surroundings but still establish its own identity. The educational design architect was DLR Group, Overland Park, KS. The firm specializes in educational facilities. The architect of record on the project was Simon Oswald Architecture, Columbia, MO.Approximately 21,000 sq. ft. of Citadel SinoCore panels finished in Desert Sand and 6,000 sq. ft. of ProCore panels finished in Antique Copper were utilized as key design elements.In addition to the metal panels, the design team included traditional masonry and cultured stone.

“Since the new school was in this developing residential area, we wanted a design that would have some scale to it. The design also needed to address the local requirement of having a stone façade component,” according to Ken Graham, project designer with DLR Group. “While the school district liked the traditional red brick schoolhouse metaphor, we wanted to introduce a third material that was perhaps a bit more modern.

That’s where the Citadel panels came into play.”Both the SinoCore and ProCore systems that were selected are field-assembled and use flat panels with perimeter trim moldings. “We liked the look of the raised batten in this case,” Graham said. “We created a pattern for the system that was a bit more classic in nature- almost like a running bond rendered in a new material.”In addition to the aesthetics of the panels, the value and economy that the Citadel systems provided was also appealing.

“We essentially used a 4’x8’ module for a majority of the panels,” Graham said. “There was very little cutting and waste. It’s a very cost effective design.”Bill Oswald of Simon Oswald Architecture, the architect of record, concurs. “The Citadel system went in very well. It’s a high value, long lasting system that delivers a very attractive look,” Oswald said. Installation of the Citadel systems was performed by Hulett Heating and Air Conditioning, Columbia, MO.The Citadel representative for the project was Manchester Hackett & Associates, St. Louis, MO.