Page 26 - School Planning & Management, June 2019

EDUCATION DESIGN SHOWCASE • HIGH SCHOOL
PROJECT OF DISTINCTION
CHOICE CAREER
HIGH SCHOOL
MESQUITE ISD MESQUITE, TEXAS
MESQUITE ISD’S CHOICE Career High School is the centerpiece of the district’s plan to address the growing population of students in its five existing high schools. This new campus will offer a unique option for a career- focused education to high school students from across the district and will serve as the home campus for those students who choose this path. The 250,000-square- foot campus will feature four schools with mul-
tiple programs within each: School of Technol- ogy, School of Engineering, School of Construction Sci- ence, and School of Health Sciences.
The charge was to relieve the population growth
at the five current high schools with the formation of a new Career & Techni- cal Education (CTE) high school. District administra- tion requested that the school must be designed for a maximum enrollment of 2,000 students in grades 9 through 12.
The campus will be built atop a hill on a 44-acre undeveloped site. With mature trees and an exist- ing pond, the site’s varied topography offers design opportunities for split level designs, monumental stairs, and cantilevered solutions. The location of the build- ing on the site is a key focal point in the overall design in consideration of the sur- rounding habitat.
ARCHITECT
WRA Architects
GRAHAM BAUMANN, AIA 214/750-0077
PROJECT INFORMATION
CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR
Dr. David Vroonland
COMPLETION DATE
Fall 2021
GROSS AREA
250,000 sq. ft.
AREA PER STUDENT
125 sq. ft.
SITE SIZE
44 acres
CURRENT ENROLLMENT
0
CAPACITY
2,000
COST PER STUDENT
$34,750
COST PER SQ. FT.
$278
TOTAL COST
$69,500,000
JUDGES’ COMMENTS
Nice concepts. Good use of volume in common spaces. Impressive design charrette process. Good overarching goals. Should resubmit when construction is complete.
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2019 EDUCATION DESIGN SHOWCASE