Crosby ISD—Crosby High School
Architect: cre8 Architects
“New 21st Century Career Academy High School campus for 2400 students . The School was designed to CHPS criteria.”
Design
As the first new high school in this one-high-school District in 45 years, it was important that it be designed to accommodate a 21st Century, Career Academy curriculum with flexible, collaborative spaces that can accommodate trends yet to come. The new school has the District’s first arts center, multi use spaces, and academic pods for career academy STEM programs. The school is designed and site for a future addition to accommodate increased enrollment.
Value
This project cost $171/sf, significantly less than other high schools of the same size and scope. The building is designed and sited with a future expansion planned when necessitated by increased enrollment. Durable, regional materials with a long lifecycle, high efficiency operating systems for water, electricity, light and technology were used. The school is designed with flexible spaces to adapt to future curriculum changes.
Sustainability
The school is designed to CHPS criteria, with durable, regional materials, no voc’s, water and energy efficient operating systems, daylighting with LED monitoring controls, ample green space and native landscaping.
Community
As the first high school to be built in this town in 45 years, it was a monumental project for the community. Town hall sessions were held to develop the goals for the projects, with parents, students, administration and faculty. It was determined that a 21st Century Career Academy best suited the needs of the community. The JROTC indoor shooting range is named in honor of a local veteran, a Medical of Honor recipient.
Planning
The design team held town hall sessions with the community and students, and programming and design charettes with administration and faculty to define the type of schools, from types of spaces to type of curriculum it would support, and flexibility to accommodate increased enrollment and future trends in education.
School Transformation
As a replacement school and the first new high school in 45 years, the new Crosby High School is a modern, open, collaborative, flexible, high tech, light filled school, with a new curriculum and the instructional space to support it, from Culinary Arts and Health Science to Robotics. The old school was surrounded by parking lots and a main thoroughfare – the new school site is park like with ample greenspace.
Star of Distinction Category Winner