HOUxEDU School Tours

HOUxEDU School Tours
The Jefferson Early Childhood Center
Monday, April 10, noon-1:30pm

Can design enhance a student’s learning experience? Explore this question with Architecture Center Houston at a series of tours exploring K-12 schools across Houston, organized in conjunction with their exhibition HOUxEDU.

The Jefferson Early Childhood Center in Alief ISD is a cutting edge facility for engaging our youngest students. The program takes an indepth approach to both outdoor experiences and play based learning to help the development of these young students. The classroom pods, or “neighborhoods” surround a central building spine that shares administrative spaces, instructional support and shared core enrichment spaces like indoor play, art, and music. Flood-resistant prairies are reinstated around the site to bring back the natural landscapes that are common in Houston. The site serves as a nature learning tool, from site signage to prairie trails for the community.

Each neighborhood is made up of four “homes” with a shared collaboration area. Supergraphics around the school are sensory-based, natural and textural to show the beauty nature. Following the theme of connecting children to nature, each neighborhood has access to unique outdoor learning environments; private “backyards” between neighborhoods, and two exploration-play courtyards for all to share. Large porches on the neighborhoods are used to soften the lines between indoor and outdoor activities.

Head back to school with a tour of the The Jefferson Early Childhood Center with architect Melissa Turnbaugh, AIA (PBK).

Tour includes a box lunch.

AIA Credit: 1.25 LU