Academies of Loudon

Academies of Loudon

Application: Walls

Building Type: K-12 Education

The Academies of Loudoun is a new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and Career and Technical Education career readiness academy in Leesburg, Virginia. The 305,000 SF facility designed by Stantec’s Reston, VA office is the largest high school in Loudoun County. Previously, the Academy of Science, the Academy of Engineering and Technology, and the Monroe Advanced Technology Academy operated in isolation until the team at Stantec and the instructional staff implemented their vision of interdependence and integration.

Academies of Loudoun combines trans-disciplinary spaces like innovation commons, maker spaces, informal collaboration areas, team rooms, and green roofs to create a premiere learning environment. By co-locating these specialty high school programs, Academies of Loudon integrates academic and technical education to create an environment that prepares students for the future of work by supporting learning at the intersection of scientific research, engineering, design, and fabrication.

For the exterior building envelope, the Academies of Loudoun features a high-performance, low-maintenance Terra5 terracotta facade. Stantec selected 18mm terracotta panels with the ECO Cladding Alpha Vci.45 subframing system. PPSI was integral in supporting the design, detailing and material selection of the rainscreen wall assembly. Available in similar format sizes and 16 standard colors as it’s sister product, TC30, the TC18 tile is redefining the rules of terracotta cladding in North America without sacrificing the impact resistance of a double-skinned tile format. TC18 is available in smooth, grooved, and a variety of other shapes.

PPSI helped specify he Terra5 TC 18 terracotta pane; from Cladding Corp due to its great performance in applications where the weight of the facade and project budget calls for a thinner, more economical approach. Designed to be a versatile and economical solution for terracotta rainscreen, the TC18 system offers the elegance and beauty of terracotta in a Cladding Corp rainscreen package to fit any budget. Please reach out to PPSI for our assistance in selecting cladding materials, reviewing project details, and sample and technical support.