Fort Osage Elementary

The new Indian Hills Elementary School in Independence, MO has been described as “one of the nicer looking elementary schools in the Kansas City area.” The 68,000 sq. ft. facility is part of the Fort Osage R-1 School District and was designed by DLR Group, Overland Park, KS.

Approximately 2,700 sq. ft. of Citadel ProCore™ plastic core panels finished in Silver Metallic contribute to the design success. ProCore™ is a field-assembled exterior cladding system that offers exceptional value. The school district challenged DLR Group to utilize low-maintenance and durable exterior materials comparable in cost to face brick, according to Ken Graham, designer.

“In response,” Graham said, “we used cold-rolled metal framing and the Citadel metal composite material panels rather than load-bearing masonry and face brick.” “We specified the two-piece extruded aluminum low-profile system for ease of replacement and to minimize shadows in order to provide a more monolithic appearance,” Graham said. The DLR Group team searched for ways to easily mark the entrance to the single story building. The result was a wedge-shaped entry canopy clad in Citadel panels that provides a sense of arrival.

The Citadel ProCore™ panels extend into the lobby and interface with brightly colored interior accents. The school is divided into two unique areas: an activity area and an academic area that includes 34 classrooms in three wings. Installation of the ProCore™ panels was done by Frazier Roofing, Grandview, MO. “We’ve used just about every Citadel system there is,” said Robert Frazier, Jr.

“The installation went very smoothly and the ProCore™ material really presents the building well. It’s certainly one of the nicest looking elementary schools in the area.” The general contractor on the project was Straub Construction, Kansas City. The Citadel sales representative was JD Day & Company, Overland Park, KS.