Terrazzo Floor is Sustainably Practical, Winsome, Award-Winning

The only public school in this rural school district, the new 127,000-square-foot facility in Highland Township, near Defiance, OH, accommodates approximately 800 pre-K through 12 students.

The construction proceeded with carefully planned demolitions, additions, and renovations, in order to create a suitable learning environment for students and staff.

The District contributed local funds for the 8,360 square feet of epoxy thin-set terrazzo that animates the first-floor common areas and corridors with a collection of aviation-themed designs. The floor reinforces the school’s “Pilot” identity with the school colors and airplane logo.

The durable, low-maintenance floor’s crisp colors incorporate a brightening aggregate mix of 100-percent glass and mirror chips. Aluminum strips outline and separate the colors, paint-by-number style.

Dividing the lower from upper-grade level wings is a spacious and practical multipurpose commons space to serve as an auditeria (auditorium and cafeteria). Bringing interest to the larger areas, the floor’s cheerful illustrations are perfectly scaled to the corridors while providing wayfinding cues. The installation also included precast terrazzo benches.

During the $33.95 million project, the existing elementary school and gymnasium, popularly known as The Hangar, were razed. Still, the new complex recalls the facility’s history and interior design theme with hangar-style curved roofs. The auditorium, natatorium, cafeteria, and high school were connected to new construction, renovated, and repurposed.

This successfully designed and executed project is set to serve the school beautifully for many years. The LEED-certified project was designed by Garmann-Miller in Minster, OH, a top green architecture firm. Anese Masonry of Tiffin, OH, the terrazzo contractor, netted a 2022 Honor Award for their work at Ayersville from the National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association, based on aesthetics, craftsmanship, and scope of the project.