Courtesy of VLK Architects
Top left to right: Cheney Hills ES, Bill R. Johnson CTE Center, Strickland MS; bottom left to right: Eastern Hills HS, Gerald D. Young Ag Center, Sherman HS
Fort Worth-based firm VLK Architects has been busy in the education sphere as of late, reporting it's contributed to the design work of at least 59 Texas public school campuses for the 2021 – 2022 school year — that's 6.6 million square feet in new construction, additions, and renovations.
"It has been a year full of new opportunities and challenges in how we design our work and serve our clients," Sloan Harris, CEO and partner at VLK Architects, said in a statement. "To be able to deliver this magnitude of projects in this school year is truly something we, our consultants, our construction partners, and most importantly our school district partners should all be very proud of. We cannot thank our clients enough for the trust they place in us to deliver for them and the communities they serve."
Notable openings include Birdville ISD's Cheney Hills Elementary School, Crowley ISD's Bill R. Johnson CTE Center, Denton ISD's Strickland Middle School, Katy ISD's Gerald D. Young Agricultural Sciences Center, Sherman ISD's Sherman High School — and, at Fort Worth ISD, Eastern Hills High School.
Courtesy of VLK Architects
Eastern Hills High School
The Eastern Hills project was developed through a service dubbed "VLK | LAUNCH," during which VLK follows a charrette process and collaborates with stakeholders to conceptualize the design. Renovations included upgrades to the main building and gym locker rooms with a 44,645-square-foot addition, a new secured main entry, and a renovated stair tower at the existing east end. Administration and cafeteria spaces, expanded art rooms, an entirely new library and classroom wing, a new Collegiate Academy, and expanded music program spaces were also part of the project, along with improvements to restrooms, collaboration areas, and handicap accessibility.
"VLK Architects values our partnership with Fort Worth ISD and appreciates the opportunity to collaborate with educators that have such a passion for giving young learners opportunities to grow and learn," VLK Architects principal Lauren Brown said in a statement. "Fort Worth ISD does a phenomenal job focusing on the community, and this facility is a symbol of their commitment to educating young learners. The spaces throughout the campus have been transformed with a finish refresh, technology, and programmed spaces to meet the current curricular needs of the students in the district."