Centennial Elementary School
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Project Confirmation Number:
0W5250475U120632D Entry Category:
Institutional Project Location:
450 South 400 East Orem, UT USA 84014 Brief Description of the Project:
The new $18.5M Centennial Elementary School, named in honor of Orem’s 100-year celebration, merges the students and staff of the older Hillcrest and Scera Park elementary schools in a new building on the former site of Scera Park Elementary School. Size of Building:
78,218 SF Amount of Masonry Used:
Interior: 51,000 load bearing concrete masonry units. out of those 51k, 15,000 colored honed units were used as decorative units Exterior: 89,000 Structural brick units were used for load bearing while using 3 colors and 2 finishes (Matte and Scratched Faces) Project Completion Date:
May 24, 2019 Explain the Project and its Unique Use of Masonry Materials and Techniques:
The prototype design for Centennial Elementary School is helping the Alpine School District meet a pressing need for their elementary school campuses—both new and existing. In order to support the District’s rapidly growing student population at a reasonable cost, the new standard design was created to fit a compact footprint so that, for a new site, the amount of acreage is lessened, and for existing sites, the new school could fit and be constructed next to an operating elementary school. Centennial Elementary School is one of a series of prototype designs that is adaptable to various sites, neighborhoods, and populations within the District’s boundaries. Centennial Elementary School is a two-story K-6 elementary school which consolidated two neighborhood schools into one new campus for students in Orem, Utah. Build within feet of the existing Scera Park Elementary School, which was demolished once the new building was completed. The building design and exterior envelope system are versatile enough to be built within existing school sites, with the old school being only feet from the new structure. Building next to existing schools often leaves little room for the masonry work, and the scaffolding typically has to be used by many trades. The building’s CMU exterior is both low maintenance and durable, bearing in mind the District’s strict budget constraints. The CMU will also hold up well to both the extreme weather and the heavy use associated with the rigorous activities within an education facility. Early in the process of developing the prototype’s design, the architectural team evaluated and analyzed a multitude of structural and exterior finish options, and chose an exterior load-bearing concrete masonry unit (CMU) wall system with integral color as the most appropriate building envelope to meet the District’s needs. Furthermore, the CMUs at the interior spaces enhance a strong connection between the inside and outside of the building, with the same CMUs providing a cost-effective approach to design continuity throughout the school. The design allows each school to take advantage of daylight, which for Centennial Elementary School the majority of classrooms and media center overlook the beautiful surrounding mountain landscape, as well as Utah Lake. The exterior materials were selected in response to the natural environment of Utah, with the Concrete masonry units (CMUs) carefully chosen for their natural, earthy quality, durability, and efficiency in construction of this type of a larger building. The tan and red colors complement each other and the surfaces additionally mimic and highlight the towering mountains of the Wasatch Front. |
VCBO Architecture
Architect Doyle Hatfield Masonry
Mason Contractor Kraig Sweat
Owner Hogan & Associates Construction
General Contractor Interstate Brick
Major Supplier Photo Credit: Aaron Shaw
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