The Echo Trail Middle School in Louisville, Kentucky, was the winner in the Education and People’s Choice categories in the 2026 ICF Builder Awards. When Jefferson County Public Schools broke ground on Echo Trail Middle School in Louisville, Kentucky, it was the district’s first new middle school in 30 years. This school’s design includes a geothermal system to lower operating costs.

The 160,615 -square-foot facility, designed by JRA Architects and built from Nudura ICF made by Tremco CPG, is organized as three pavilions connected by atrium-like connectors. This three-pavilion layout organizes the school’s spaces and draws on the site’s agrarian history that fits naturally into the school’s rural setting.

“The project’s two core goals were connecting occupants to the remarkable natural surroundings and nurturing collaboration and student success among the three teams in each grade,” says Colin Drake, FAIA, LEED AP, who led the project for JRA Architects. Materials such as an innovative masonry veneer treatment, exterior tile, and cascading standing seam metal were chosen to reinforce the agrarian character while also appearing modern. The veneer alludes to weathered wood barn cladding. Each grade’s classrooms are grouped around a shared work zone, and the existing hillside was shaped into terraced spaces both inside and out. The connectors between pavilions are among the most striking features. “At the atrium-like connectors, building occupants have unforgettable views into the landscape as they move through the building throughout the day,” said Drake.

The ICF installation took 270 days out of a total construction time of 105 weeks. The team estimates they saved 45 days of construction time by building with ICFs.

Sustainability and Construction
“The project team sought common-sense sustainable tactics to permeate an overall composition that had to stay rooted in lean budget and practical design ambitions,” Drake explained.

The three pavilions face east-west to bring in consistent daylight, and the south-facing roofs are ready for solar panels if the district chooses to add them later. ICF paired with a geothermal HVAC system pushed the building’s energy use to more than 50% below the national average for school buildings. Daylight sensors and occupancy-controlled LED lighting keep energy use low while maintaining good conditions for learning. Polished concrete floors were chosen because they last well and need little upkeep. ICFs provided good acoustic separation between classrooms.

The land had been agricultural prior to development, leaving soft soils. Persistent bad weather during envelope work delayed all trades except the ICF installation. ICF was an ideal choice for this property because the heavy machinery needed to erect walls was minimal, which helped minimize the disturbance of the soil. ICF work continued through inclement weather to keep the build on schedule. Using ICF for below-grade foundation stem walls further accelerated the project timeline and ensured insulation continuity from foundation to roof.

“The most prominent complexities that ICF simplified were the canted curtain wall jambs on the front façade of all three pavilions — once set, the outward sloping jambs required no shoring or independent structural lintels,” explained Drake. “Face brick installed above roof levels was easily supported off ICF bearing walls. One-sided ICF was leveraged in elevator shafts and at the building’s cafeteria storm shelter, affording the project exposed concrete faces in areas requiring high durability, or to eliminate the need for an ignition barrier at concealed interior conditions.”

Significance and Recognition
The decision to build with ICFs was made by the owner, Jefferson County Public Schools, and the district was not new to the system. A prototype school completed in prior years had convinced district leadership to use ICF. From there, the selection of Nudura was a natural continuation of an established relationship.

“Nudura had gone above and beyond to educate the design team over several prior projects, and empowered the design team with strategies for optimizing the material’s effectiveness, architecturally, structurally, and financially,” Drake said. Special features like the one-sided forms used to create exposed concrete walls made the contractor’s work easier. General contractor Morel Construction, a long-time and trusted builder for the district, played an active role in developing the architectural standards, including the adoption of ICF as the preferred system.

As the first new middle school in the Jefferson County district in three decades, administrators were deeply invested in imbuing the facility with best practices spanning safe access to outdoor recreation and diversified furnishings that support different learning styles.

The building has drawn national attention. It hosted a case study tour during a national storm shelter design conference and has been featured in a nationally distributed design and construction magazine. JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio said, “This beautiful new school is on the level with the best in the country. Its connection to nature, access to daylight, and amazing appearance set a standard of what we hope for in our schools — places where kids will be inspired to learn, and strive for excellence.”

The project has since earned Kentucky’s highest design award, been recognized as one of the best brick veneer projects in the country, and received an American Architecture Award as one of the nation’s top design projects.

Project liaison and Assistant Superintendent Jessica Rosenthal said, “This project is a career highlight. You empowered not only students and staff, but also district leaders to dream big about the possibilities for our students, giving them what they deserve. You helped the district develop our model middle school of the future, based on national best practices and district-specific needs.”