The name alone should clue us in: "Camino Nuevo High School," roughly translated as "New Path," seems to have been born to forge a new direction in educational architecture. The principal challenge to constructing this charter institution in Santa Monica, CA was the site-long, narrow, and surrounded by a steady stream of traffic. Lucky for the builder-and the future students-manufacturer Morin's perforated metal panels provided the perfect cladding solution.

Y-29 Perforated Metal Panels. Manufactured by Morin.

Morin's Coated Steel Panels Create a New Look in Education

In my experience, the requisite material for the typical school is none other than good old-fashioned red brick. And that certainly has its appeal, but sometimes the demands of the modern age call for a different solution.

In this case, the main constraint was fitting the school on the site without posing a hazard to either the construction team or to future inhabitants of the building. Morin's 24 gauge Galvalume 55% Aluminum-Zinc coated steel panels allowed workers to dispatch with this finishing touch both quickly and safely, while facilitating pinpoint privacy, solar shielding, and noise reduction.

Besides the functional perks, the metal panels give this innovative school an equally innovative look. Even amid the hum and din of Santa Monica's busy streets, Camino Nuevo's vibrant façade catches eyes and turns heads. The alternating panels of gunmetal gray and custom-baked yellow create an intriguing optical illusion. To the inhabitants of the many passing cars, it almost seems as if some invisible hand is quickly thumbing through the pages in a flipbook-a kind of stop motion animation that's very apropos for a school in La La Land.

About the Manufacturer: The story of Morin is also the story of Kingspan Group, the former's parent company. Begun in the 70s in Ireland as a manufacturer of metal cladding and roll-formed structural sections, the company expanded during succeeding decades into the market for insulated panels and other insulation products. Today, Morin and Kingspan Group focus on insulated cladding, "EnvelopeFirst"â„¢ high-performance roof and wall systems, raised access floors, and renewable fuel and water storage solutions.