CAREER ACADEMY OF PELLA

The clean lines and contemporary visual appeal of this school offer an appropriate home to classroom programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. Careful attention to light, layout, and detail yield comfortable, durable, and functional spaces that have won the praise of architectural juries. Excellence in design for this project reflects the high value put on vocational training by the community.

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.

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.

CLIENT

Pella Community School District

PROJECT MANAGER

Jackson den Herder

COMPLETION

2015

AREA

23,000 SF

COST

$4,800,000

HONORS

AIA Central States Honor Award