Lake City High School
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

The main entrance to Lake City High School features split-face, ground-face and single score smooth concrete masonry units.

​

Impressive population growth in the Coeur d'Alene area has spurred expansion of many facilities. Lake City High School, which opened in the fall of 1994, is just one example.

​

Going from ground breaking to opening in just 14 months, this project demonstrates the efficiency of concrete masonry construction as well as its practical and aesthetic advantages.

​

The 185,000 square-foot project, designed by Architects West of Coeur d'Alene, features 12-inch Hi-R pre-insulated concrete block load-bearing walls with split-face exteriors and ground-face interiors. Gray and goldenrod 6 and 8-inch wide ground-face block encloses all interior corridors; as well as the library, auditorium, commons, and cafeteria. The solid grouted corridor walls, reinforced with vertical #5 bars at 32 inches on center and horizontal bars at 48 inches on center, carry the second story floor slabs and then continue up to support the roof system.

​

The gray and integrally-colored split-face exterior walls feature single score smooth and ground-face accent bands. Interior block walls in the gym and classrooms are painted, and chamfered corners are featured at various locations throughout the school. In total, approximately 300,000 block in 150 different sizes, shapes, colors, and textures were used on this project.

Exposed ground-face concrete masonry serves as the wall finish on much of the school interior. In addition to economy, energy efficiency, and aesthetic considerations; Architects West also chose block for its durability. According to project architect Scott Fischer, because block is less susceptible to damage than many other materials, it serves well in unsupervised areas such as corridors.

​

"We are very pleased with CMU. The earth tones are inviting and the ground-face block provides a feeling of warmth", he added. At present the school enrolls 1,200 students and is designed to accommodate up to 1,500. The total cost of construction, including site work on the 40-acres, came to just $72.70 per square foot.

It’s a great place to add a description of your business, your site or what you do. Use this space to add information for your users, write about your philosophy or your journey and define your distinguishing qualities. Consider adding an image for extra engagement.