Natural Modernism

Palmer Ridge High School landscape

Palmer Ridge High School Glass Walkway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Palmer Ridge High School

 

 

Located on 69 acres of forested area, Palmer Ridge High School in Monument, Colo. integrates the natural terrain of its surroundings into architectural design.

Exposed rough sawn textured concrete created with Scott System form liners beautify planter boxes and interior and exterior walls, creating a natural accent while producing a sense of modernism.

The site features area landscaping and rooftop gardens with native foliage to add splendor and serve as a learning tool for students.

Natural light filters through a glass bridge walkway that connects three academic wings and supports the traffic flow of 1,200 students and staff. At 219,000 sq. ft., Palmer Ridge High

School is touted as the largest geothermal project in Colorado.

Cost: $45.4M, Architect: H+L Architecture
Contractor: Saunders Construction

Concrete: the Perfect Canvas

To many, concrete means grey, flat walls. Nevertheless, across the U.S. and even in different parts of the world, concrete has become the perfect medium for texture and aesthetic beauty.

From 60-foot lizards scaling sound walls of the Pima Freeway in Scottsdale, AZ, to buffalos roaming the plains on T-REX sound walls in Denver, CO, concrete can transform the ordinary into the exquisite.

Here’s how it works…

The process begins when a city or architect decides that an aesthetically interesting barrier is needed, whether it’s for a sound wall, school, office, bridge, shopping district, etc. The design team then creates concept drawings, which are approved by the surrounding neighborhood and building team. From here, the drawings evolve into sculptured creations using a variety of mediums, such as clay, polyurethane or wax. When the original art is finished, a cast is made using synthetic liquid rubber, and from this cast, form liners are produced in the reverse image of the original.

The form liner panel is then placed on this inside of a concrete forming system before the concrete has been poured and acts as a mold for the concrete. Once the concrete has set, the forming system is removed and the form liner is stripped away from the hardened concrete surface. The resulting concrete surface is permanently textured with the pattern of the form liner.

By using form liners, you can recreate the mountains, the meadow grasses and wildlife in concrete, thus preserving the look of nature and creating a beautiful landscape. For more information on form liners, visit www.scottsystem.com.