Community, Sustainability and Education

River Oaks Baptist School combines ambitious Pre-K through eighth grade academics with robust character and spiritual development in the heart of Houston, Texas. The mission of River Oaks Baptist School is to prepare students to meet life’s challenges and lead the future with superior education and Christian principles.

A 10,000-square-foot expansion to the facility enabled the school to open the Mosing Middle School Building and Sarofim Leadership Center. The center enabled the school to expand the student population by 10 students per grade level. The design is based on 21^st-century learning rooted in STEM education, including new media and art rooms, performance space, a robotics lab and a focus on sustainability. 

To empower students and create a sense of community, the design needed to deliver dynamic and creative learning spaces. Architects turned to CENTRIA^® for a building envelope that helps to communicate the school’s mission.

Performance and Aesthetics Drive Decisions

CENTRIA’s  Intercept Entyre modular panels in alternating Silver Gray and Dove Gray created the unique aesthetic architects envisioned. 

Architects wanted to use a building skin material that departed from the existing brick palette and express the innovative learning environment within. The metal-clad building is grounded within the existing brick buildings but twists out as each floor rotates to expose a roof garden for each Grade Level Learning Community. 

CENTRIA panels allowed for differing joint sizes – standard and oversized – to help define and delineate the overarching pattern and provide a color palette to match the aesthetic.

“The building is optimized for the middle school-aged student, a child in transition. While much of the school’s curriculum seeks to challenge the student, the community seeks to support students and reinforce the area as a whole,” said Jose Rosales, associate at Jackson & Ryan Architects. “The new building does the same with hyper-flexible spaces where risk-taking-learning can occur, and students can find their comfort zones.” 

The panels were shipped to the construction site in small batches to reduce time in the elements before being installed.

The design of the building envelope required the installation of special trims in certain spots of the building, which fell to Underwood Sheet Metal, the installer on the job. Underwood was able to make all adjustments on site, contributing to greater efficiency in installation.

“The building is really sharp and has great unique colors used for the design,” said Jeff Underwood, president of Underwood Sheet Metal. “It’s the only time I’ve seen those colors used, and I think it was a game changer.”

Underwood Sheet Metal installed the CENTRIA panels around stucco and ledges with a ledge flashing on top to ensure water rolled off and out of the building.

Intercept Entyre Rises Above

CENTRIA Intercept is a modular metal wall panel system that incorporates different substrates, depths, tapers, slopes and perforations to allow design versatility and easy installation. 

The Intercept system is ideal for all industries and provides optimal air, water, thermal and vapor protection. Clean lines, tight corner bends, and simple installation without sealants makes for low-maintenance design and better structural integrity.

The Intercept Entyre line offers continuous engagement extrusion and concealed fasteners that work in conjunction with sequentially installed modular panel units. These panels create dramatic aesthetics with smooth planes, clean sight lines and an extensive palette of colors and finishes.

Ring the Bell

The new middle school and leadership center opened to students in August 2020 after 18 months of design and construction. CENTRIA panels were installed over six months as construction progressed.