Frisco ISD—Rick Reedy High School
Architect: Stantec
The new 325,000 SF high school serves as a centerpiece of the neighborhood, creating a new culture that connects the school to its community. It is small enough to provide each student with a full spectrum of curriculum and high quality amenities that prepares students for future success. With the community’s preference for traditional architecture, the design balances a Romanesque revival style in a modern growing community, and creates a tradition-rich campus feel.
Community
- As a centerpiece of the neighborhood, the building supports a new culture that connects the school to its community
- Community within is enhanced through the support of peer-to-peer and student-to-teacher interaction by the purposeful arrangement of collaboration and gathering spaces
- There’s a space for everyone – students feel a sense of belonging, pride, ownership
- Freedom of choice in where students can go to learn and collaborate with each other
Design
- A traditional architectural expression infused into a modern, high end learning program
- Design language consists of contrasting brick, stone colors repeated in rhythmic patterns of arches, pilasters and textural bands accentuated by the interplay of light and shadow
- With 70 feet of fall across 47 acres, the site led to a building form that includes five distinctly different major floor levels and a massing arrangement that suggests a campus-like collection of smaller buildings
Planning
- Prominent presence to the high portion of the site and the main road of the community
- The building is arranged into focused and active zones, effectively separating the program into academic and kinetic learning areas
- The courtyard serves as zone separator and draws natural light into the center of the building mass and a place for outdoor gathering and study to occur
- Performance and play areas have separate entrances and have linkage to adjacent site programmatic support elements
Sustainability
Use of local, durable materials such as brick masonry, ceramic wall tile and terrazzo flooring to reduce life cycle and maintenance costs- Low E glazing, high efficiency lighting and operable shading devices decrease heat load and HVAC demand
- Geothermal HVAC systems, insulated concrete form (ICF) exterior walls and Energy Star roofing reduce energy consumption and save on long term operational costs
- Advanced water systems management provide savings in water use
Value
- School serves smaller student population within community
- Students have opportunities for advanced curriculum offered in robust learning environments and extracurricular activities
- Building volume and floor levels respond to the site’s natural topography
- Multi-use, multi-function areas increase efficiency and enhance value
- Flexible spaces encourage nontraditional use. Examples include: the library functioning as a commons gathering space; the dance studio serving as a classroom
School Transformation
- A purposely small student population allows for student inclusion in multiple activities beyond the classroom
- A broad variety of electives are supported by quality learning environments like competitive athletics and music programs
- Multi-use, multi-function spaces promote peer to peer collaboration and enhance active learning
- Collaborative environment creates a rich and well-rounded high school experience that prepares students for future success
Star of Distinction Category Winner