Aesthetics and durability were the focus during the specification of a variety of products from McElroy Metal in the construction of a new Kid’s Castle Learning Center in Dacatur, IL.
The newest Kid’s Castle is the second located in Decatur. There’s also one in Springfield, IL. The goal of all three daycare facilities is to “provide child care for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years of age, in a safe and educational environment.”
Those considerations were taken into account during construction. The facility’s ventilation system draws in fresh air three times every hour. Energy efficiency was another focus of the owners. Lighting is monitored by Blue Box, which shuts off any lights left on within the facility 30 minutes after closing. The T5 lighting with double ballasts will run at half strength on sunny days to conserve energy. This 22,000 square foot facility uses less electricity than a 9,000 square foot facility.
The owners emphasized the importance of aesthetics on the outside of the building, including enclosing the air intake systems and all kitchen, plumbing and heating exhausts. Dormers were installed along the back of the roof to hide these penetrations.
“They wanted to cover up any of the less than attractive exhaust pipes and stacks,” said project architect Ryan Alexander of Architectural Expressions LLP in Forsyth, Ill. “It was definitely an aesthetic the owners wanted and with the metal dormers, we were able to provide that. Metal roofing was a little more expensive than shingles, but the owners were willing to pay that initial cost for the aesthetics, durability and a better warranty.
McElroy Metal’s Medallion-Lok 16-inch standing seam panel in the PVDF finish Evergreen was installed on the roof, as well as on the faces of the dormers. The entry was covered by a barrel vault canopy, with Medallion I Radius panels on the top and Marquee-Lok panels in Regal White installed on the bottom side and the Matrix profile was used for soffits. In all, approximately 37,000 square feet of products from McElroy Metal were used on the project.
The ColorGard snow rail retention system from S-5! was installed all around the building, one foot up from the eaves. The ColorGard system attaches to the seam of the roof, without damaging the roofing or the paint finish, and it uses a strip of the roofing material to match the Evergreen color.
“The green roof really looks great, it really stands out,” Anderson said. “And the barrel vault entry was another aesthetically appealing touch. We were fortunate that McElroy has a rep nearby to recommend the best products for each application.”
Dwayne Jess, owner of Prairieland Construction LLC of Arthur, Ill., headed up the installation of the McElroy Metal roofing, soffit and fascia products. “We started in the back installing around the dog houses (dormers),” he said. “The dog houses really gave the project a great look, a clean look; and so did the canopy at the main entrance. McElroy Metal sent out a curver for the roof panels on that and it looks great. The soffit panels on the bottom side of the canopy were installed perpendicular to the building so they weren’t curved.”
Jess said the trim work on the canopy was also curved. He and his crew installed the trim work into the wall before the builder installed the walls, an exterior and insulation finish system (EIFS).
Prairieland Construction LLC has been in business for almost eight years, erecting building packages and installing architectural standing seam roofing. Jess says Kid’s Castle is one of his company’s signature projects.
“When I look at all the detail work and how everything turned out, I feel pretty good about that one,” he said. “The product looks great and it’s a great project.”