Horizontal lines streamline new Florida school’s appearance

The northwest portion of Escambia County, Fla., is experiencing a population boom that has pushed the county’s namesake school district toward its own construction boom. The recently opened Beulah Middle School is one of several new facilities in the district’s lineup. The $44 million school’s exterior presents a clean-lined, forward-thinking image – which carries through the rest of the building, including the 3-D printing and robotics lab.

Designers with the Pensacola office of DAG Architects used a mix of exterior materials to create the crisp appearance, and also to help visually identify the entry and three grade-related wings of the structure. Materials included brick in classic red and tan for the entry, and masonry and metal wall panels from Petersen’s PAC-CLAD line in a perfectly color-matched sandstone finish.

In total, siding professionals with Pensacola’s Specialty Contractors installed 40,000 sq. ft. of 0.24-gauge 7.2 Rib horizontal wall panels and 20,000 sq. ft. of 0.24-gauge Reveal wall panels. The panels’ horizontal orientation helps draw a visitor’s eye across the building’s long, low profile. The school is designed for a 1,200-student capacity and opened its doors to 829 students for the 2018 school year, giving it plenty of room to grow.