Education is one of the vital cornerstones of our society, providing the foundation young people all across the country need in order to flourish in their professional and personal lives. The facilities in which our children learn provide formative experiences that heavily influence their success and view of the world. Schools all across the country are getting older and becoming less conducive to providing a positive teaching environment. As part of a much needed educational expansion for the Davis School District in Farmington, Utah, two new schools were recently commissioned to better serve the local student body, including Odyssey Elementary School.
Designed by VCBO Architecture, plans for the new school called for 84,785 square-foot of total environmentally conscious construction. Composed of two multi-story educational wings centered around a common dining area, Odyssey Elementary was also devised to obtain LEED® Gold certification through its use of 1,200 solar panels, natural lighting and use of sustainable materials. Along with its creative interior design and overall mass, the defining features of the school’s architecture are the exterior metal panels installed in two curving bands atop the building’s main entrance. The design is composed of ATAS CastleTop diamond-shaped flat metal roof shingles coated in Valspar’s Fluropon® coating in six colors - Dove Grey, Siam Blue, Regal Blue, Teal, Hartford Green, and Hemlock Green.
The interlocking panels combined with a patterned use of the six Fluropon coatings provides an energetic, complex aesthetic to Odyssey Elementary School. Valspar’s Fluropon 70 percent PVDF architectural coating is renown for its high-performance qualities and durability, including superior resistance to ultraviolet rays and exceptional dirt and stain resistance. The exterior design reinforces the branding of the school – Bodies in Motion: the Animal Kingdom. The colors were selected to evoke motion and be reminiscent of fish scales, and Fluropon’s outstanding color retention and consistency have only increased its visual resonance.
With a beautiful exterior façade to match its many sustainable business practices, Odyssey Elementary School opened its doors in 2014 as one of the “greenest” schools in Utah. Thanks in part to ATAS International Inc. and Valspar, Odyssey now provides hundreds of students in the Salt Lake City suburbs with a state-of-the-art education facility that houses a welcoming and effective teaching curriculum. With the initial success of Odyssey Elementary in place, and a second school on the way, it hopefully won’t be long until many fellow school districts across the country follow suit.
Related Stories
Sponsored | Coatings | Apr 28, 2016
Building a Habitat with Paint: The Polk Penguin Conservation Center
With Valspar’s expertly color-matched Fluropon coating, the Polk Penguin Conservation Center was able to capture the look and feel of the Antarctic landscape.
Sponsored | Coatings | Apr 22, 2016
Coil-Coating Process Improvements Lower Costs and Environmental Impact
The process has made pre-painted metals a top choice for builders because of the aesthetic, environmental, performance and cost benefits.
Sponsored | Coatings | Mar 23, 2016
Fluropon Dimensional Colors: Architectural Coatings That Sparkle, Shift, and Radiate
Fluropon, Valspar’s premier architectural coating, has a new line of dimensional colors, delivering brilliant hues and dazzling effects. These colors shift, sparkle, and radiate—effects previously not available in 70% PVDF coatings.
![Technology leads the way in today’s coatings and sealants [AIA course]](/sites/default/files/styles/list_big/public/Screen%20Shot%202016-02-05%20at%2010.28.11%20AM.jpg?itok=dTHdXaZY "Technology leads the way in today’s coatings and sealants [AIA course]")
Coatings | Feb 5, 2016
Technology leads the way in today’s coatings and sealants [AIA course]
History holds the key to the next coating or sealant specification. To earn 1.0 AIA CES HSW learning units, study the article carefully and take the exam.
| Jan 28, 2016
AIA CES class: The rainscreen approach to a better building envelope
Building envelope expert Bradley Carmichael of Hoffmann Architects explains how rainscreen wall systems work and evaluates the effectiveness of various rain-control methods, including mass walls, perfect barriers, and masonry veneers. This AIA/CES class is worth 1.0 learning unit.
Sponsored | Coatings | Jan 26, 2016
Use color this year to help you reach your aspirations: orange, yellow, and white
Use a splash of color or even paint an entire room to manifest and realize your dreams and goals. Kate Smith, an international color expert provides many insights on unleashing the power of color.
Sponsored | Coatings | Jan 21, 2016
Use color this new year to reach your aspirations: orange, red, and green
Do you have goals for the new year for your diet, career, or lifestyle? Kate Smith, an international color expert recommends using color this new year to help shape your world.
| Jan 14, 2016
How to succeed with EIFS: exterior insulation and finish systems
This AIA CES Discovery course discusses the six elements of an EIFS wall assembly; common EIFS failures and how to prevent them; and EIFS and sustainability.
Great Solutions | Jan 7, 2016
Bacteria-killing paint and magnetic wallcovering highlight innovations in surface materials
Sherwin-Williams recently introduced Paint Shield, the first EPA-registered microbicidal paint that kills virtually all infection-causing bacteria after two hours of exposure on painted surfaces.
