02.07.2017—Deer Park ISD, Northwest ISD and the San Jacinto College District recently received “Caudill Class” recognition — the highest honor — in the annual Exhibit of School Architecture competition facilitated by the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) and Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) for projects that exemplify excellence in planning and design of the learning environment. The announcement was made at the 2017 TASA Midwinter Conference in Austin.
The three winning projects received at least four stars from six areas of distinction, making them eligible for the Caudill Class, which is named after Texas architect William Wayne Caudill (1914–1983), whose progressive concepts continue to influence school design.
Deer Park ISD won for its renovation of Deer Park High School North Campus, which had become a sprawling facility due to a series of additions built over a span of 86 years. The renovation unified spaces, modernized function, and reduced the school’s ecological footprint. Elements of the building were preserved and incorporated in unique ways to help connect the campus’s rich history and architectural past with its future in the digital age. The renovation was done in partnership with cre8 Architects.
Northwest ISD won for V.R. Eaton High School, a new campus for 2,500 students. The school features an attached indoor activity center and athletic facilities (baseball field, softball field, tennis courts, two practice fields and competition track). Two academies operate on-site: the Academy of Business Management and Entrepreneurship and the Academy of Aeronautics and Aviation Sciences. The new construction project was led by the Corgan architecture firm.
San Jacinto College District won for the Maritime Technology and Training Center. The facility provides community meeting spaces as well as space for academic courses and pilot simulators. The site includes a U.S. Coast Guard aquatic training facility with many special features. The project was designed by the Texas-IBI Group.
The Exhibit of School Architecture awards are given at the discretion of a 12-member jury (four school board members, four administrators, two representatives from the Texas Society of Architects and two representatives from the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE). The Caudill Class winners were chosen from among 21 projects awarded Stars of Distinction in the areas of community, planning, transformation, design, value and sustainability.
TASA is the professional association for Texas school administrators, providing networking and professional learning opportunities, legislative advocacy, and targeted communications to support the work of superintendents and other school leaders. The organization’s mission is to promote, provide, and develop leaders who create and sustain student-centered schools and develop future-ready students.
TASB is an association established in 1949 to serve local public school boards. School board members are the largest group of publicly elected officials in the state. The districts they represent serve approximately 5.3 million students. TASB’s mission is to promote educational excellence for Texas schoolchildren through advocacy, visionary leadership, and high-quality services to school districts.