Photo by Eckert and Eckert Concrete masonry units were used to give Midway Elementary in Des Moines a clean, contemporary appearance.

Midway Elementary is a K-6 school consisting of classrooms, office functions, a library and activity spaces.

Three linear forms are arranged in a radial pattern that responds to the site’s opposing qualities.

The front of the pattern gathers the building forms into an entry court while the back of the pattern reaches out to the play fields.

Ground-face CMU was chosen to achieve a clean, contemporary appearance and to satisfy the client’s maintenance and durability requirements. Two colors of CMU masonry were combined to add interest and to differentiate the building functions.