Cypress-Fairbanks ISD—Cypress Park High School
Architect: PBK
Design
The High School represents a new era in educational environments in the area. Designed around the concept of small learning communities, the school serves as an active learning environment that blends interior and exterior spaces for maximum educational responsiveness. Each SLC includes classroom spaces, science labs and administrative offices. A two-story, rectilinear building wing houses most electives. At a hinge point between the classroom wing and the elective wing is the learning hub.
Value
Since the High School will eventually be part of a larger Education Village, the site was carefully planned to account for this future growth. Additionally, the development will be an integral part of the surrounding community, as neighborhood event space is part of the plan.
Sustainability
In order to enhance the indoor learning environment and connect it to the outside space, we created three-story natural light shafts to introduce light into the heart of each learning space. Since this school is different from the previous prototype, which had few windows, energy monitoring will take place and be charted against the last prototype in order to determine which is more efficient. To control solar heat gain the school utilizes canopies and sun shade devices based on orientation.
Community
In order to enhance the indoor learning environment and connect it to the outside space, we created three-story natural light shafts to introduce light into the heart of each learning space. Since this school is different from the previous prototype, which had few windows, energy monitoring will take place and be charted against the last prototype in order to determine which is more efficient. To control solar heat gain the school utilizes canopies and sun shade devices based on orientation.
Planning
The community’s desired outcomes for the High School were to align the design of the building with the state’s new rigorous secondary curriculum as outlined by the new Foundation High School program. This desired outcome helped steer the organization of the school, and prompted the design team to create diverse, interactive settings throughout the building, encouraging casual collisions between different groups of students and each other, as well as students and educators
School Transformation
The High School is designed around the concept that learning can happen everywhere. This idea of openness and transparency resulted in the creation of Small Learning Communities. These spaces assume a variety of forms – from the large atrium where students convene to learn, to smaller, quiet areas where learning is more personalized. Flexibility is important, since every student learns differently. Each space in the facility is designed to support on-demand teaching and learning opportunities.
Star of Distinction Category Winner