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Case Study: Argo Community High School Performing Arts Center

Words: John Cicciarelli
Photos: Echelon


THE CHALLENGE
Argo Community High School is located in Summit, Illinois, just southwest of Chicago’s Midway Airport. In 2016, the Argo Community High School Board of Education and the school’s administration undertook the construction of a new performing arts building. The goal for this addition was to match the traditional architecture and reflect the style of the existing 100-year-old high school. The new space was funded by a generous donation from well-known restaurateurs and Argo High alums, Richard and Sharon Portillo. The $17-million Portillo Performing Arts Center was completed in 2017 and includes a 450-seat auditorium, stage, prop construction area, practice rooms, lobby, mezzanine student commons area, and band, choral, and theater classrooms.

 

THE SOLUTION
Echelon Masonry’s versatile Franklin Stone™ was selected for the exterior, while Echelon split face and CMU block were utilized for the interior.

“It was a public school bid, so we looked at three manufacturers,” said project architect Tracy Biederstadt of DLA Architects. “We chose Echelon due to the quality product and the company’s ability to provide the colors we needed for both the decorative split face and the ground face. The Franklin Stone™ for the exterior provided the look of limestone without the high cost, and since it’s a modular product, it can be installed quickly and easily.”

THE EXTERIOR
On the Arts Center exterior, the windows and the use of brick and cast stone as architectural elements, such as the arches over the entry windows and masonry pilasters, reflect the proportions, scale, and detail of the original Argo High School. The Franklin Stone™, a cast stone masonry veneer, was used as a substitute for limestone. The product is made from a mixture of white Portland cement combined with fine aggregates, resulting in a highly dense material with a texture similar to that of natural limestone.

“Since the Franklin Stone™ is machine-made, we can produce it economically yet still give the customer a dry, hand-tamped appearance,” said Todd Moore, Echelon Product Manager. “In addition, it possesses an integral water repellent to reduce efflorescence and can be used below grade.”

Cast stone was specifically chosen to showcase Argo’s school pride, featuring an engraved Argonauts logo at the main entrance and the lyrics to their alumni song facing the stadium. Cast stone arches over the windows of the main entrance to the auditorium further reflect the detailing of the school’s original entrance architecture.

 

Reducing exterior noise to enhance acoustic performances was another key goal for the design team at DLA Architects. Echelon’s grout-filled CMU has the acoustic mass required to assure sound isolation from exterior noise in the theater, providing the essential quiet background noise level for performances and presentations. CMU was also beneficial for noise isolation in the band, choral, and theater rehearsal rooms, allowing for ease of instruction and uninterrupted archival and student recording.

This exterior wall construction was also key to controlling on-site noise by preventing the sound of marching band practice from impacting teaching and rehearsals, as well as assuring that rooftop air handlers located directly adjacent to the theater stage are not audible in the space. In addition, a masonry parapet was used to screen the new rooftop cooling tower from the nearby windows of existing school classrooms.

THE INTERIOR
Dawn Schuette, Partner at Threshold Acoustics, explained that masonry was utilized for the interior acoustic design as a single building material that could provide a robust, full-frequency acoustic response. The interior of the theater is primarily exposed, grout-filled masonry, resulting in a rich, warm sound for band and choral performances. A mix of integrally colored split-face and ground face CMU gave the acousticians at Threshold the ability to tailor the quality of sound reflection in the theater while allowing variation in architectural design. Painted CMU was used in less visible areas of the theater to assure good acoustic performance and sound isolation while balancing cost considerations.

The shape and surface of sealed, split-face masonry near the theater stage are crucial for early reflections from performers to the audience. Threshold Acoustics worked with DLA to create a gentle curve for these walls to direct sound evenly across the seating area. The split face texture provides high-frequency diffusion to mitigate any potential for echoes as sound travels across the width of the space.

 

The timing of the reflections from the CMU walls, balanced with the sound reflecting off the forestage ceiling panels, gives support for voices and instruments. This allows performers to communicate easily with the audience without amplification.

A mix of sealed and unsealed split-face CMU was incorporated at the rear wall of the auditorium to provide high-frequency diffusion and light acoustic absorption. This provides a response to the stage, giving performers needed feedback about their sound in the room while controlling overall loudness for large bands or amplified presentations. Masonry exposed within the rehearsal spaces provides full-frequency support for rehearsals and classes while aiding in isolation between spaces during simultaneous use. Large-scale angling of masonry walls works in conjunction with limited areas of applied diffuser panels in the band and choral rooms to create an even, blended sound with a cost-effective solution.

From the outside to the inside, Echelon products helped fulfill the vision of the architects and acoustical consultants to create a space that is as beautiful to the eye as it is to the ear.


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