At the new Farley Elementary School in Topeka, Kan., approximately 6,000 square feet of Holland, Mich.-based Dri-Design panels were used to create a functional yet exciting environment for K-6 grade students. The 0.08-aluminum panels were finished in Green, Terra Cotta, Silver and Gold.
HTK Architects, Topeka, designed the 93,000-square-foot facility. “Kids should experience creativity as they grow and evolve. It shapes who they are and who they become,” said Chuck Smith, partner at HTK and the project architect and designer. “Farley is a large facility and we needed to scale it down to the users with functional and creative designs that would help the children’s cognitive mapping process. Materiality and colors played a big role in that.”
The Dri-Design panels interface with traditional masonry on the exterior. A large, multi-colored Dri-Design panel “fin” marks the school entrance and extends into the main lobby area as a landmark to help students find their way.
A variety of exterior panel systems were considered. “But when we identified that we needed a solution that was affordable and that we could be creative with, that’s when we landed on Dri-Design,” according to Smith. “There’s been a great reaction to the finished project from the kids, teachers and the community. Everybody loves it.”
Diamond Everly Roofing Contractors, Topeka, was the installer, and SGH Inc., Riverside, Mo., was the distributor.
