Middle Schools PROJECT OF DISTINCTION OUTSTANDING DESIGN + ARCHITECTURE IN EDUCATION 12
Salyards Middle School CYPRESS-FAIRBANKS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, CYPRESS, TEXAS I
N EARLY 2009, THE DISTRICT DECIDED THAT THEY WERE READY for a new middle school prototype. Our challenge was to provide the district with a prototype that offers the flexibility for resite, incorporates a smaller footprint, increases daylighting in classrooms and provides a 21st-century learning environ-
ment for today's digital generation. Salyards Middle School is a three-story facility that emulates a Rubik's Cube with
corner entries and multiple fronts that can be resited based on the site orientation and school floor traffic. The footprint of this new prototype is 35 percent smaller than the district's existing middle school prototype, and the number of classrooms with daylighting has been increased from 30 percent to 95 percent. The typical halls and walls have been
transformed into an open design concept that includes glass walls between the classrooms and the main corridor to provide a window into learning environments, interactive flex
spaces that promote self-directed learning and project-based team collaboration, and a courtyard in the center of the building that visually connects the three floors. This collegiate-style environment also incorporates technology to raise the quality
of the facility to meet the needs of today's students. A wireless overlay is available for network and Internet access, and each classroom includes a Smart Board, two video projection walls and network hard drops. EDS
E10 EDUCATION DESIGN SHOWCASE PROJECT INFO
CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR COMPLETION DATE
GROSS AREA (SQ. FT.) PER PUPIL (SQ. FT.) CAPACITY (STUDENTS)
CURRENT ENROLLMENT SITE SIZE (ACRES)
COST PER STUDENT COST PER SQ. FT. TOTAL COST
Mark Henry Aug. 2011
247,446 157 1,568
1,568 29
$21,589 $136 $33,851,998
ARCHITECT SHW Group LLP
MARK LAM, AIA 713/548-5700
WWW.EDUCATIONDESIGNSHOWCASE.COM