This facility is the largest project included in the district’s 2018 bond and will serve 1,200 middle school students in grades six through eight. This school comes as a much-needed addition after rapid growth within RCISD.

“The new Bobby Summers Middle School is a new paradigm in what middle schools will be in the future,” said Sloan Harris, CEO, VLK Architects, the architecture firm on the project. “We are so appreciative that Royse City ISD had led us to drive the design forward and deliver a new state of the art campus for its students.”

VLK Architects was hired to help the school district meet the challenge of planning the 2018 bond after more than a decade since the district’s last bond election. VLK worked alongside RCISD Superintendent Kevin Worth, district leaders, and a community-based bond planning committee. Northstar Builders Group was the general contractor.

Through a collaborative process, members of the community were provided district demographic and financial data, along with potential project scope and costs to evaluate needs and set priorities, and successfully achieved a 79 percent pass rate.

Designed to promote outdoor engagement, the building features a centrally located secure courtyard and large windows to allow daylight to fill the space. The multipurpose courtyard area located just outside of the cafeteria functions as a staging area; it will further serve as a meeting space for significant events, classes, and additional play space.

Multipurpose furniture will be placed on tracks that can be moved based on the space needed. The design is specified to be environmentally friendly by using a rainwater collection tank to further aid in landscaping. The classrooms and science labs for each grade are placed around large central collaboration spaces featuring tiered seating, presentation capabilities, writeable surfaces, and flexible furniture. These spaces can accommodate multiple classrooms simultaneously in order to provide the district with the flexibility to extend the learning environment beyond the classroom.

The dedication of Bobby Summers Middle School was a proud moment for our community,” said Royse City ISD Superintendent Kevin Worthy, in a statement.

“This project was met with great community support and involvement. Opening the doors to this beautiful and innovative new school will be a joyous occasion. Generations of students will grow and thrive in the thoughtful spaces of Bobby Summers Middle School.”

The Royse City Independent School District, located 30 miles east of Dallas, encompasses 74.48 square miles within a tri-county boundary: Rockwall, Collin, and Hunt Counties. Accredited by the Texas Education Agency, the district provides quality education for PreK-12th grade. Also provided are special education programs for gifted and talented, and special needs students. The high school offers advanced placement classes along with dual credit courses.

The post Texas Debuts Much-Needed New Middle School appeared first on School Construction News.

DENTON, Texas –In early March, a “Foundation Celebration” was held in Denton, Texas for the new Denton High School. The theme of this event was “Cementing the Foundation,” which was incorporated into the ceremony. Denton High School alumni placed rocks into a cement grinder, which were mixed into the foundation of the building, theoretically leaving the legacy of DISD for future students.

“The new Denton High School is the epitome of a legacy project for our firm, but more importantly, it’s a legacy project for Denton ISD,” said Sloan Harris, CEO/Partner, VLK Architects.

“The new Denton High School is the perfect culmination of a district dedicated to the success and well-being of all its students, the community’s engagement in the visioning of the project, and design that truly captures the core values and voices of education leaders and students. The new DHS is a beacon of next-generation educational design that will serve its community for decades to come.”

The construction of the $160 million school is part of the DISD 2018 Bond program, approved overwhelmingly by voters. When completed in 2022, the new 490,000-square-foot high school will serve 2,200 students in a world-class facility consisting of a 1,900-seat gymnasium, 800-seat auditorium, a centralized media center, and a large student commons overlooking an expansive courtyard. Northstar Builders Group is the general contractor.

Three competition gyms, a fine arts corridor, outdoor performance space, and several sports fields have also been incorporated into the plans, as well as a competition football field which will serve for junior varsity games.

The architecture of the new facility is traditional, with arched windows and a tall domed rotunda entryway, which serves as the focal point of the design. Within this rotunda, the legacy of the Denton Independent School District will be depicted using elements from the 136-year history of Denton High School. The existing Denton High School bronco will be relocated and placed atop the domed entry rotunda within this new campus. The newly relocated bronco, overlooking the city of Denton, will welcome new students and serve as a reminder of the roots of Denton High School.

“We wanted to carry on the theme apparent throughout the city of Denton of design symmetry that draws you into the building,” said Joel Hays, Principal, Denton ISD.

“The team at VLK Architects allowed us to drive them around and show them some of this unique architecture. In a couple of years, when you walk into this building, you will see these elements incorporated in the design of Denton High School.”

The post Foundation Celebration Held for $160M Texas High School appeared first on School Construction News.