{"id":25086,"date":"2026-09-29T16:08:24","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T16:08:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/texasschoolarchitecture.org\/?page_id=25086"},"modified":"2026-09-29T16:09:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T16:09:23","slug":"2026-selma-elementary","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/texasschoolarchitecture.org\/?page_id=25086","title":{"rendered":"2026 \u2014 Selma Elementary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t
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Judson ISD\u2014Selma Elementary
\nArchitect: Alamo Architects<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The new elementary campus addresses enrollment growth, offers modern facilities, and sets a higher district design standard for elementary schools. Facilities leadership, parents, and faculty used Selma Elementary to set a higher design standard for Judson ISD. This prototype prioritizes health, enduring community value, and future educational success. The design responds to evolving early childhood pedagogy and supports dedicated teaching staff. Stakeholder meetings established a vision for the elementary school campus: Joy, Safety, Flexibility, Innovation, and Future-Focused & Future-Driven.<\/p>\n

\"Design\u2014StarDesign<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our stakeholder groups voiced these priorities: Flexibility, Safety, Future Focus\u2014and Joy. Flexible \u201cplazas\u201d along \u201ceducational streets\u201d engage rather than enclose. \u201cA Safe Harbor\u201d became shorthand for the building wings surrounding a Central Courtyard. The layout prioritizes safety \u2014 both actual and perceived. Maximizing flexibility increases operational efficiency and creates opportunities to include the community. Daily opportunities for play, movement, and enrichment activities improve focus, well-being, and joy.<\/p>\n

\"Value\u2014StarValue<\/strong><\/p>\n

With a bias toward cost-effectiveness, we created a forward-looking design language for this new District standard. The design maximizes flexibility to future-proof, supports multiple functions, adds value through color and a lively graphic program, and demonstrates the value of investing in developed exterior landscapes. The architecture incorporates standard materials, specified for long-term durability, in novel ways \u2013 a contemporary expression that signals a new direction for Judson ISD.<\/p>\n

\"Wellness\u2014StarWellness<\/strong><\/p>\n

Several strategies are incorporated to reduce student stress and foster a sense of belonging. The building \u201cbreathes.\u201d Each day, students enter through doors glazed with biophilic images of the local landscape. Connecting spaces feel unconfined, and generous windows frame views of the sky and trees. Immersive focal points like the Library are balanced with child-scaled areas and nooks. The Central Courtyard embraces best practices for Outdoor Learning Environments and is open to exploration, enriched with natural contours, native trees, and safe play areas \u2013 encouraging movement and healthy social interaction.<\/p>\n

Community<\/strong><\/p>\n

By actively engaging school leaders and stakeholders, we identified operational needs and opened a window into the community\u2019s hopes and dreams. The learning environment supports a comprehensive curriculum, balancing traditional classroom instruction with enrichment in the central library and the Innovation Hub \u2013 the center of STEAM learning. School pride and local identity are everywhere: mural graphics of a fanciful landscape are dotted with horses, representing the school mascot. Photorealistic images of nearby Cibolo Creek Natural Area screen the entry and appear in reading nooks \u2013 familiar touchpoints that foster inclusion.<\/p>\n

Planning<\/strong><\/p>\n

A thorough community engagement process helped shape a new elementary school model for Judson ISD. Through this process, planning goals became clear: greater flexibility for effective teaching, a controlled perimeter for school safety, and a beautiful, optimized outdoor space at the center of it all. \u201cA Safe Harbor\u201d became shorthand for connecting wings that wrap around a central courtyard and for emphasizing the importance of helping students feel secure everywhere on campus.<\/p>\n

School Transformation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Setting a higher bar for elementary school design district-wide meant that \u201clessons learned\u201d were drawn not from a single legacy school but from multiple campuses. Priorities emerged: Flexibility, Security, Future Focus, and Joy. At Selma Elementary, open \u201cplazas\u201d placed along an \u201ceducational streetscape\u201d are experientially transformative: the design strategy helps students feel secure yet unconfined. Innovative architecture outwardly communicates the District\u2019s transformation initiative.<\/p>\n

\"Stars Star of Distinction Category Winner<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Judson ISD\u2014Selma Elementary Architect: Alamo Architects The new elementary campus addresses enrollment growth, offers modern facilities, and sets a higher district design standard for elementary schools. Facilities leadership, parents, and faculty used Selma Elementary to set a higher design standard for Judson ISD. This prototype prioritizes health, enduring community value, and future educational success. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23712,"parent":24987,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-25086","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/texasschoolarchitecture.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25086","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/texasschoolarchitecture.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/texasschoolarchitecture.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/texasschoolarchitecture.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/texasschoolarchitecture.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25086"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/texasschoolarchitecture.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25086\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25088,"href":"https:\/\/texasschoolarchitecture.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25086\/revisions\/25088"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/texasschoolarchitecture.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24987"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/texasschoolarchitecture.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/23712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/texasschoolarchitecture.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25086"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}