Career Academy of Pella

A palette of brick, wood, glass and translucent wall panels defines the enclosure of Neumann Monson Architects' elegantly simple Career Academy of Pella in Iowa. The building is the first piece – and a very promising start – in a master plan for the Pella Community School District. The architects answered a few questions about the project.

What were the circumstances of receiving the commission for this project?

A new superintendent for the Pella Community School District invited three firms to interview in order to provide master planning services. We have worked with the school district before and were awarded the master planning project. In order to build community consensus, we organized community meetings and facility tours to highlight facility needs and to provide a forum for community input. After the master plan had been developed and the subsequent bond issue had passed, the school district asked us to help them realize the vision of that master plan. The Career Academy was the first part of the master plan to be put into place.

Please provide an overview of the project.

The Career Academy of Pella is home to 23,000 square feet of vocational shops and classrooms for the community school district in Pella, Iowa. This project represents the strong collaborative relationship between the Pella Community School District and local private schools, area industry, and a regional community college. This new model of public-private partnership has enabled the school district to use this facility to train students of all ages in the skills needed in the local workforce and also provide for study in S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) areas.

What are the main ideas and inspirations influencing the design of the building?

As always, we strive for simplicity and truth in material, especially given the project typology and limited budget. The Eero Saarinen and Harry Weese works at Drake University in Des Moines, in particular, were referenced for the thoughtful relationship between the use of brick as a material and the large openings used for views and daylight.

How does the design respond to the unique qualities of the site?

This new building is located at the edge of the school district campus, adjacent to a single family residential neighborhood comprised largely of single story ranch homes. The project is sited immediately northwest of the existing high school, tucked into the hillside. Recessing the building into the earth helped reduce its cost and its overall height, allowing it to better blend into the neighboring context. The building aligns itself to the existing topography, which saved significant earthwork cost. Large window openings on the north and east allow for light and views of the adjacent ravine and high school practice field.

What products or materials have contributed to the success of the completed building?

The exterior material palette consists of durable materials that relate to the primarily masonry context. The dark brick (Endicott’s Manganese Ironspot), both in module size and coursing, references the brick found on adjacent structures, yet has its own identity to expres the unique program contained within the building. Ipe was used as building cladding and as a screening material that is durable, maintenance free, and adds warmth to the exterior material palette. The CPI Quadwall translucent wall panels used on the western elevation allow diffuse light to enter deep into the shop spaces and naturally illuminate work areas.