Barbers Hill ISD—Barbers Hill Intermediate School North
Architects: cre8 Architects
“In 2020, Barbers Hill ISD hired us to design two new intermediate schools, including Barbers Hill Intermediate School North, a two-story facility that accommodates 1,500 students in grades 4–6. One of the bigger challenges set by the district was for both schools to be laid out the same but also to appear different from each other. The solution to the “same but different” design challenge was to develop a theme for each school based on the district’s mascot—the Eagle.
Early in the design process, we collaborated closely with the district, staff, teachers, consultants, and the general contractor, resulting in a successful project that directly benefited the campus and district. Using a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) as the project delivery method allowed early contractor involvement, helping to control costs and ensure material availability despite market uncertainty due to COVID-19. This collaborative approach facilitated strategic decisions that enhanced project efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
The school features specialized life skills classrooms and a motor skills lab. We collaborated closely with administrators, teachers, and curriculum designers to establish a school program and a cohesive theme that is reflected throughout the building and curriculum. Inspired by the Eagle’s nest, which is durable, structural, and central to the Eagle’s world, we developed a theme that mirrors the intricacy of an Eagle’s nest—an intricate truss system formed through determination and seemingly random assembly.
The concept of the Eagle’s nest as a central node is integrated across the campus. It influences design elements such as the angled finish patterns in the dining area, corridors, collaboration areas, and central courtyard, which create a sense of movement and visual interest. The theme is physically represented in the grade-level collaboration areas with partially enclosed group spaces featuring branch-like patterns on acrylic panels. In the library KIVA, a 12-foot-diameter illuminated nest made from differently colored acrylic strips hangs suspended above the seating area.
Along the walls of ‘Main Street,’ large metal letters inspire students to explore, exercise, create, encourage, and perform, constantly reminding them to engage actively with their learning. The use of raw plywood in abstract patterns along Main Street and in the dining area, along with a “systems portal” in the collaboration areas that exposes ductwork and building systems, allows students to see how the components of the building work, adding an industrial touch to the environment.
By delving deep into the characteristics of the beloved Eagle mascot and its nest, we crafted a unifying theme for the new Barbers Hill Intermediate School North. The central Eagle’s nest motif serves as a key node linking the campus, symbolizing the industrious spirit of the school.”
Design
“This intermediate school is a two-story building that accommodates 1,500 students in grades 4-6, and includes specialized life skills classrooms and a motor skills lab. The building is designed to fully support a variety of teaching and learning styles, providing flexible and adaptable instructional spaces that support the curriculum. The overall building organization places all classrooms on the west side, while the “”noisier”” spaces, such as the cafeteria, fine arts, and gym, are on the east side. The resource/media center, special education and support staff, and administration are centrally located within the building.
The school features two learning courtyards. One is centrally located with outdoor dining, a boulder garden adjacent to the resource/media center for group instruction and reading, and a map of Texas with feet and meter comparisons. The other courtyard includes a covered playground, a compass rose surrounded by concrete benches, and an area adjacent to the art classrooms for outdoor art instruction.
The district’s mascot is the eagle, and a theme based on the eagle’s nest was developed for the school. The concept of the eagle’s nest as a central node is integrated across the campus, influencing design elements such as the angled finish patterns in the dining area, corridors, collaboration areas, and central courtyard, creating a sense of movement and visual interest. The theme is physically represented in the grade-level collaboration areas with partially enclosed group spaces featuring branch-like patterns on acrylic panels. In the library KIVA, a 12-foot-diameter illuminated nest made from differently colored acrylic strips is suspended above the seating area.
Each grade level is organized into self-contained communities, with classrooms oriented around a common collaboration area. All classrooms have exterior windows to maximize natural daylight and interior windows facing the collaboration area, allowing teachers to monitor students working individually or in small groups. The collaboration area supports small group activities, full classroom instruction, and individual work.
Durable materials such as brick and blue metal panels were used on the exterior. The interior spaces feature durable materials that introduce color and visual interest. A high-pressure laminate wall panel system is used in the collaboration areas and all main street corridors. The panels come in various laminate colors, include marker surfaces, and accommodate tackable panels. Each grade level has its own accent color.
Along the walls of ‘Main Street,’ large metal letters inspire students to explore, exercise, create, encourage, and perform, constantly reminding them to engage actively with their learning. The use of raw plywood in abstract patterns along Main Street and in the dining area, along with a “systems portal” in the collaboration areas that exposes ductwork and building systems, allows students to see how the components of the building work, adding an industrial touch to the environment. Grouping each grade level into its own pod with exterior windows, using the dining area for various events, and providing two courtyards for outdoor classrooms demonstrate how the educational program and design goals informed site development and enhanced the student learning experience.”
Value
“Early in the design process, the design team worked closely with the district, staff, teachers, consultants, and the general contractor, resulting in a project that improved efficiency, flexibility, adaptability, and enhanced value to the campus and district. Utilizing Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) as the project delivery method allowed early contractor involvement, controlling costs and ensuring material availability despite COVID-related supply chain uncertainties. This collaboration facilitated strategic decisions that enhanced project efficiency and cost-effectiveness. By bidding two intermediate schools simultaneously, the contractor reduced costs through volume material orders and economies of scale.
Additionally, we split the project into two packages. To stay ahead of rising steel prices, we combined all the steel and underground utilities into one package and obtained permits for it first. The second package included the architectural, structural, and MEP elements. By the time the second package was permitted, the underground utilities were in place, and the steel was on site, shaving approximately two months from the original construction schedule.
To help keep maintenance costs low without sacrificing design, durable finish materials were used throughout the building. High-pressure laminate panels were installed in all high-traffic areas, including main street corridors and collaboration areas. Painted concrete blocks were used in the gym, cafeteria, and kitchen. Durable flooring, such as terrazzo in the secure lobby and linoleum that does not require polishing or waxing, was used in all collaboration areas, main street corridors, and the cafeteria. Walk-off mats were installed at all exterior doors, and hard-wearing carpet tiles were used in all classrooms. Brick and metal panels, which are low-maintenance, high-quality materials available locally, were used on the exterior of the building.
The building is energy-efficient, featuring LED lighting, dedicated outside air units with energy recovery wheels, demand control ventilation to provide outside air where and when it is needed, UV lighting at mechanical units for virus control, and an efficient HVAC system with cooling towers. These elements collectively created a flexible, adaptable, and cost-effective project that significantly benefits the campus and district.”
Wellness
“Safety and a secure environment significantly contribute to wellness strategies supporting the whole child by fostering a sense of security and well-being. Impact-resistant glass in the secure lobby and at each grade level’s secure entry ensures protection while maintaining an inviting atmosphere.
Each grade level is organized as a self-contained community including restrooms for students and teachers, as well as a teacher’s team room. The collaboration area is an extension of the classroom and supports small group activities, full classroom instruction, and individual work. All classrooms have exterior windows that allow natural daylight to enter, which has been shown to improve academic performance and positively impact students’ mood and emotional well-being. Additionally, interior windows overlook the collaboration area, enabling teachers to monitor students. Because the grade-level community is secure and contains all necessary amenities, students can move freely and engage in various learning activities.
All instructional areas feature flexible furnishings to create a positive and adaptable learning environment for students. Desks, chairs and standing height desks can be arranged in various ways to accommodate small and medium groups or to focus the whole class on the teacher. Integrated desks and seats with casters, wobble stools, and flexible soft bench seating all contribute to a learning environment that is designed to adapt to a student’s learning need.
The school fosters an inclusive environment where all students, including those with disabilities, learn and interact together. For students with additional needs, the school provides various amenities. Four life skills classrooms, and a motor skills lab, offer spaces for students to learn practical, real-world skills that are important for personal development and everyday life. The motor skills lab helps students develop fine and gross motor skills and provides activities designed to help them process and respond to sensory information. The special education area also includes support spaces such as restrooms, a kitchen, laundry facilities, showers, and changing rooms.
Technology also plays a significant role in the students’ academic development. Students have access to mobile Chromebooks, classrooms are equipped with interactive touch screen panels, and Wi-Fi connections are available throughout the school. In the innovation labs, students have access to 3D printers and virtual reality, and interactive flat panels are integrated into teamwork tables. Additionally, the broadcast room located in the resource media center allows students to operate cameras and audio equipment for school announcements.
A large graphic timeline of the area’s history greets students as they enter the school. As they progress through the school, metal letters along the Main Street corridors inspire students to explore, exercise, create, encourage, and perform, constantly reminding them to engage actively with their learning. Inspired by the eagle’s nest, an awe-inspiring 12-foot-diameter illuminated nest made from differently colored acrylic strips is suspended above the KIVA seating area in the resource media center. The two learning courtyards are designed for both learning and play, featuring a covered playground, a large compass rose, a comparison of feet and meters embedded in the pavement, and an area for outside dining.”
Community
“Our client is a fast-growing community with roots dating back to 1849. This project embraces the community’s culture and identity by involving representatives, including teachers, staff, and administrators, in every phase of the design process, from programming and schematic design to the end of design development. Design charrettes were conducted throughout the process, allowing each department to contribute valuable comments and suggestions. Cre8 did not come to the table with a predesigned building. Instead, we listened and collaborated with the district to produce a building that addresses the community’s needs.
The district’s mascot, the eagle, inspired the project’s theme. The concept of the eagle’s nest as a central node is integrated across the campus, influencing various design elements and instilling a sense of pride in the school and district that will continue through high school and beyond. A large wall graphic depicts the historical timeline of the area from 1849 to the present day, connecting today’s students to the history of the area, community members, and district, emphasizing that they are the continuation and future of the community.”
Planning
“A design committee was assembled to facilitate the planning process. The design team guided group discussions while allowing the committee to make decisions, acting as trusted advisors. By asking “what if” and “why” questions, and by listening and collaborating with the design committee, the design team fostered deeper dialogue, enabling the creation of a school design that addressed the specific needs of the district and community.
Design charrettes were conducted throughout the process, allowing each stakeholder to contribute valuable comments and suggestions. The design team synthesized the feedback into visual responses that were easy to understand and prioritize as discussions progressed from ideas to solutions, using programming cards to illustrate this process. Solutions were then translated into spaces and connections and presented to the design committee and board of trustees to ensure alignment with the original project goals.
The design team fully utilized Virtual Reality to communicate the designs to all parties, allowing for real-time changes during charrettes and providing a much clearer understanding of the future school. Often, it was hard to distinguish between one of their renderings and a photo of the completed space. The community could get a complete visual of the interior and exterior of the building before construction began. Wearing Oculus goggles, they could even walk through the future building, demonstrating that a picture is worth a thousand words.”
School Transformation
“The new intermediate school transforms the learning and teaching experience for students and staff in a variety of ways. It is the first building in the district designed to group each grade level into independent, self-contained community pods with classrooms surrounding a collaboration area. This design creates a very flexible learning environment, allowing for instruction delivery to be adapted to different curricula. Teachers have a broader choice in planning and delivering lessons, enabling students to work as a class, in small groups, or individually.
The building also has comprehensive security features, including bullet-resistant glazing at the secure lobby and each grade level security entry. Each classroom has a small group room designed as a place of refuge in case of an emergency, large enough to hold two classes and equipped with lockable sliding doors.
The school includes a comprehensive special education facility with four life skills classrooms and a motor lab supported by restrooms, showers, laundry, a kitchen, changing rooms, and three areas with privacy curtains for intravenous feeding. This special education area delivers its services within one location.
Additionally, the school features an innovation lab for each grade level, giving more students access to experiences like 3D printing, virtual reality programs, and 3D modeling. Students now have access to mobile Chromebooks, which were previously fixed in place along a wall. With the flexible seating and adaptable spaces of the grade-level community pods, mobile technology like Chromebooks enhances the learning experience. The school also has a broadcast studio, allowing for student-led video and audio projects, as well as for the district to take their own student and group photos.
The KIVA is designed to promote literacy and serve as a place for storytelling. Students can sit or lie underneath an illuminated 12-foot diameter acrylic “nest” on a three-tiered carpeted platform, reading, listening, or participating in activities. The KIVA platform is also used to display books during book fairs.”
Star of Distinction Category Winner