VLK Architects Unveils New High School for Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD
VLK Architects has completed work on the newest high school for Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District, and it’s ready to start welcoming its first students for the fall semester.
Chisholm Trail High School is the District’s third high school, developed to serve the rapidly growing district. Located adjacent to Tarrant County College District’s Northwest Campus, the District’s Sarah Hollenstein Career and Technology Center and Marine Creek Lake, the facility provides students many opportunities beyond what the traditional high school has to offer.
The school’s student-focused design incorporates many elements to encourage different levels of socialization among the student population. The open concept cafeteria includes a snack bar, bistro and outdoor dining area, ideal for maximizing student interaction. Adjacent to the cafeteria is the library, which offers great views of the lake and provides students a bookstore-type of setting. The intimate courtyard, located in the center of the campus, reflects a student-centric focus through its amphitheater. Wireless internet throughout the school allows students and staff alike a chance to connect anywhere within the facility and a consolidated ninth grade wing enables freshmen to successfully transition to high school.
Despite working around issues with the scale of the building and the site, the team at VLK Architects kept the project under budget. Sustainable elements, including a geothermal mechanical system, irrigation for the entire site via the water in the nearby lake and use of a drip irrigation system that saturates the ground from underneath, will generate cost savings for the District.
“We just wanted to provide a facility suitable for every type of student and learner,” says Leesa Vardeman, AIA, Principal at VLK Architects. “Adding an additional high school to EM-S ISD helps even out the capacity of students across the District, which in the end, helps all the students.”
