Renovated high school’s entry gets a standout metal-roofed entry
New high schools can be surprisingly expensive to build, which you might know if your local school district has proposed new construction lately. Nationally, construction costs average around $350/sq. ft., though this figure can range widely by region. A 1,000-student facility averaging 173,000 sq. ft. that translates into costs of close to $50 million or more. As a result, many districts choose to upgrade existing buildings rather than start from scratch. This is the choice the Greene County School System of Greene County, Ga., made when Greene County High School started showing its age.
In three phases over the course of several years, the district made substantial improvements to the school, with exterior features highlighted by architectural metal wall and roof panel systems. Of note is the school’s new atrium-style entry. In addition to providing a signature design element, the atrium also includes features that allow it to function as a security vestibule to limit public access to the building.
The entry stands out thanks its curved roofline that’s called out by the curved metal panels in a bronze finish that complements both the ledgestone-style masonry that highlights the entry’s corner pillars and the terra cotta-tone brick used on the main school structure. Metal wall panels carry the bronze color down to form a backdrop for the school’s signage – and they’re also used as cladding for vertical mechanical systems installed along an adjacent wall’s exterior.
Architects with the Atlanta firm of Gardner Spencer Smith Tench & Jarbeau – along with Winder, Ga.-based installers Watertight Roofing Services – turned to Petersen to supply its PAC-CLAD metal panels. In all, they specified 1,800 sq. ft. of the company’s PAC 150 panels for the curved roof and 6,000 sq. ft. of Precision Series Highline panels in the C2 profile for the wall applications. The material was sourced by distributor CRS in College Park, Ga.
