Inviting, with clean lines and Arts and Crafts (Craftsman) style architecture, Cesar Chavez Middle School in Oceanside, CA provides teachers and students with room to grow. Designed by John Groth of Groth Architects, the facility can accommodate as many as 1,400 students. Built to eliminate crowding at another local school in Oceanside, Chavez Middle School is a $34 million campus with 38 classrooms, an outdoor lunch area, a large multi-purpose room, music rooms and an expansive outdoor sports area.
Located in a residential area, Groth wanted a roofing product that blended with the surrounding neighborhood, yet offered the performance of a commercial metal roof. Groth chose a stone coated steel roof from DECRA Roofing Systems, DECRA Shake in Weathered Timber. The shake profile complements the clean look of the Craftsman-style, and the stone coating softens the roof, lending a more relaxed and comfortable feel to the campus.
DECRA Shake is made of corrosion resistant, aluminum-zinc alloy coated steel with an acrylic bonded stone chip finish. The steel substrate contains upwards of 25% post-consumer recycled steel content, and is 100% recyclable at the end of its life.
In addition to the visual appeal, the school required a low maintenance product with a long life-cycle. Groth believes the roof will last fifty years or more. The long life-cycle contributes to the sustainability of the product and will not place the school in a short-term re-roof situation. “The generous roof overhangs protect the buildings from sun and weather, contributing to the comfort of the occupants and longevity of the buildings,” says Groth.
DECRA Shake is installed on battens. Oak Ridge National Labs recently conducted testing that compared products installed direct to the deck, like asphalt shingles, and those installed offset from the roof, as on a batten system. This offset contributes to the continuous airflow across the deck and helps to pull the heated air away from the conditioned space. Less heated air entering the conditioned space equates to less stress on the cooling system, and lower energy consumption.
Providing safety, low maintenance and durability are important when it comes to a comfortable environment for students and teachers.