The new Kendyl Depoali Middle School in Reno, NV serves as a prototype for future middle schools in the Washoe County School District. Named after an extraordinary educator and fourth generation Nevadan, the $37 million facility provides 198,000 sq. ft. of educational and administrative space in a multi-building campus environment.
The school district sought to provide the community with an environmentally friendly, sustainable solution that made a signature architectural statement through a safe, flexible and cost effective design. Those objectives were met with the design developed by VanWoert Bigotti Architects, Reno.
The design team sought ways to simplify the arrangement of program components to offer site adaptability and create a design that evokes fresh imagery for a renewed interest in school pride through architectural identity. Approximately 23,000 sq. ft. of Citadel’s SinoCore® field-assembled exterior cladding system were used to meet the design objectives. SinoCore panels utilize a one and two-piece perimeter trim molding attachment system. The panels were finished in Reserve White and Regal Blue.
“The Citadel panels were an exceptional solution to respond to the conservative budget yet offered the opportunity to make bold statements with the design,” said Angela Bigotti-Chavez, design architect. “Metal was selected as a prominent building material early in the design process due to its many desirable characteristics. The combination of the Citadel panels, concrete masonry and glass was the perfect palette to achieve architecture that is both timeless and contemporary.”
Installation of the Citadel panels was done by Richard Joseph and Company, Sparks, NV. “It was really a very simple installation process,” said Dan Sorensen, vice president of construction. “You have 4x8 and 4x10 panels right at the site along with the extrusions and you basically cut-to-size and install right there. The system is easy to modify and allows you to create whatever you need at the site. So you’re never waiting for something to come from a sheet metal shop. We’re really proud of the project.”