Ben Reifel Middle School

Project Name: Ben Reifel Middle School

Location: Sioux Falls, SD

Completion Date: 2021

Ben Reifel Middle School, located in Sioux Falls, SD, blends the features of the former George McGovern and Memorial Middle Schools while adding modern storm shelters to protect all students during inclement weather. Serving 1,200 6th, 7th, and 8th graders, the 180,000-square-foot school includes a 499-seat auditorium, competition gym, special education suite, and 70-inch monitors in every classroom. The 23-acre campus also boasts a track and field complex, parking for over 200 vehicles, and nearly 200 trees for shade.

The Ben Reifel Middle School project was complex and a creative challenge for the ASI Architectural team. Early in the design process, the team brainstormed how to bring the architect’s vision of convex, fanned ceiling panels to life using a surprisingly effective tool—a toilet paper roll. By cutting it into segments, we were able to visualize the curvature and layout, helping us interpret how the ceiling would appear in flat 2D architectural drawings. This hands-on, inventive approach guided the development of custom shop drawings for both manufacturing and customer approval. The project scope included 104 convex ceiling clouds, 56 convex wall panels, over 200 pieces of vertical wood trim, and intricate curved trim designed to precisely match the radius of each custom panel.

In addition to the auditorium’s detailed ceiling and wall systems, the cafeteria required 124 flat ceiling panels and 152 vertical wood trim pieces. Work began on the complex shop drawings in August 2020, with final approvals completed by March 2021. The project was built to match the approved shop drawings exactly, and the last product was shipped in April 2022. Throughout the process, we created custom production drawings for each curved metal frame used to suspend and support the wood ceiling panels. Logistics were equally meticulous: we shipped the materials in 36 crates— some as large as 144 inches long—and coordinated deliveries across multiple trucks, timed to align with construction progress. This ensured seamless installation and kept the project on schedule.

Project Summary