Tustin Legacy Magnet School in Tustin, Calif., is a TIDE (technology, innovation, design, entrepreneurship) focused 6-12th grade campus. Students who want to pursue TIDE education and careers enroll at the school. The campus has iconic neighbors, the historic U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Air Station (M.C.A.S.) North and South blimp hangars, which were constructed in 1942. After a careful product search, the design team selected Dri-Design Painted Aluminum Panels for the cladding to mimic the design inspiration. 

The design team at PJHM Architects considered many cement fiber rainscreen options before selecting metal wall panels. Tom Kruse, principal with PJHM Architects, says, “After we decided an open-joint rainscreen product would not work, we chose Dri-Design based on previous experience, quality of product detailing and weather protection.”

Best Contracting Services, Gardena, Calif., installed 49,000 square feet of Dri-Design Painted Aluminum Panels in Agate Gray, Gray Cashmere, Semolina and Silk Gray colors. The archway of the school also was clad with Dri-Design along with curved extrusions on the top and bottom of the trapezoidal panels, making the archway a focal point of the design. Dri-Design wall panels are rainscreens. As a true water management system, they provide an added layer of weather protection for a building.

“This is a great example of the use of extrusions and a cut-to-fit application on the corners and openings,” says Tyler Fowler, National Sales Director at Dri-Design. “The school campus seems so natural next to the blimp hangars, which are iconic structures and part of U.S. history.”

The young entrepreneurs at Tustin Legacy Magnet School have a 32-acre campus to explore, and they can excel in the $46-million one-of-a-kind facility. The two-story classroom building has 24 classrooms. Each area focuses on student and staff needs while also inviting in community and business leaders to collaborate with the students. Corridors and foyers were eliminated to reduce wasted non-educational space. Students and staff travel on elevated pedestrian walkways that connect the buildings and provide a sense of direction. The site also has an outdoor amphitheater, cafeteria, administration building, and play and sports fields. The campus has a strong connection to nature and many outdoor-use opportunities.

For more information about the Dri-Design® Wall Panel System, call 616-355-2970 or visit www.dri-design.com.