ROSENBERG, Texas—Designers from VLK Architects recently helped celebrate the dedication of the new Adriane Mathews Gray Elementary School for the Lamar Consolidated School District.

Gray Elementary School is designed for ease of student circulation throughout its campus, as well as to offer a secure academic environment. Gray Elementary offers six classroom pods for each grade that branch off from the school’s main corridor. Common areas are dedicated to collaborative learning, and outdoors the school features additional learning courtyards. At the campus center is its media center and event space.

Adriane Mathews Gray, an alumna of Lamar Consolidated, created Lunches of Love, a nonprofit devoted to feeding children in need. The organization continues to feed more than 4,000 children daily at the 18 Lamar CISD schools. Accordingly, the school was named in her honor.

“Adriane’s heart for students and her community is contagious, and it was very evident that she loved what she did,” said Dr. Roosevelt Nivens, Lamar CISD superintendent. “It was a true honor to know Adriane, and the service that Lunches of Love provides to the community is second to none.”

“We are extremely excited to be able to work with LCISD and Dr. Nivens to provide another outstanding learning facility to meet their tremendous growth needs on time and within the budget,” added VLK Managing Partner Todd Lien.

VLK operates from offices in Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and Fort Worth. The firm specializes in the K-12 design and planning sector. Drymalla Construction Company was the general contractor on the project.

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HUTTO, Tex.—As the final steel beam at what will be the new Gus Almquist Middle School was hoisted into place at the construction site, the beam took along to its new home the signatures of members of VLK Architects and the Hutto Independent School District.

Drymalla Construction Company LLC is serving as general contractor for the two-story middle school, which will host 1,200 students. Specific educational space will be dedicated to fine arts, athletics.

VLK applied its VLK | LAUNCH^® approach to collaborate with district leaders and the community to imagine an innovative design that incorporated a centralized outdoor courtyard. VLK’s design also features a space for cafeteria overflow, and many classrooms will have adjacent outdoor accessibility for project-based learning. Additionally, the school will offer a second-floor library as well as tiered seating that can be utilized for spectators to observe lectures, presentations and even esports.

The new Gus Almquist Middle School will be the third school within the district to bear the name of Hutto ISD’s former board president.

“It was a pleasure honoring the Almquist family at today’s beam-signing ceremony,” Tim Kunz, principal at VLK Architects, said at the event. “Their inscriptions, along with many others, will be a part of this building forever. VLK is grateful to support teaching and learning in Hippo Nation and looks forward to seeing future students thrive in their new middle school.”

Hutto ISD entails seven elementary schools, two middle schools, a ninth grade center, one high school and an alternative campus. The new middle school is scheduled to open for students in the fall of 2024.

VLK perform planning, architectural and interior design work in the K-12 sector. The firm operates from offices in San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Houston and Fort Worth.

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BAYTOWN, Texas—Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District recently broke ground on its new Elementary School #17 in Baytown, which is located within the Houston metropolitan area.

The approximately $20.5 million elementary school is one of the major components of the $335 million bond that the district passed in May 2019 to address its rapid growth. Driven by massive growth in southeast Houston, this property-wealthy district is projecting more than 2,250 new students over the next decade.

The new 102,000-square-foot facility, located on 18 acres, will comprise individual PreK-5 educational wings, a media center, a gym, playgrounds, and outdoor learning areas. The design is a prototype that the District has constructed in the recent past. The District is in the early stages of selecting a name for the school.

“Goose Creek CISD is excited to be able to adequately support the needs of our growing community with the addition of this elementary school to the north side of the District,” said Brenda Garcia, director of facilities planning and construction at Goose Creek CISD.

“The groundbreaking of Elementary School #17 marks another milestone in the district’s efforts to manage its explosive growth and provide students the educational needs of the 21st century,” said JP Grom, vice president at Lockwood Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN), the firm serving as the program manager for the bond program.

PBK designed the facility and Drymalla Construction Company is the general contractor. The new elementary school is scheduled for completion in January 2022.

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