Texas K–12 District Tops Out Agricultural Sciences Complex

The Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District in Pecos, Texas, recently celebrated a topping out ceremony for its new Agricultural Sciences Complex, according to a news release. Members of the community gathered on April 25 so that FFA students from Pecos High School could sign their name on the last steel beam.

“The PBTISD Agricultural Science Complex will support many students across the district of all ages and our High School FFA program,” said PBTISD Superintendent Brent Jaco. “The district is excited to provide a space for students interested in agriculture and to give them a place where they will be able to come and raise their livestock for showing season.”

The Agricultural Science Complex is a metal barn measuring in at 13,550 square feet that will contain classrooms, administrative space, and storage space for tools and food for the animals. Livestock pens will have access to running water and electricity, and the facility also includes a grazing area and arena, wash bays, overhead doors with bird screens for cross-ventilation, and infrared unit heaters and fans for year-round temperature control, according to the news release.

The district partnered with VLK Architects for the project’s design. The complex is a district capital project and is currently scheduled for completion by November 2023.

“VLK is honored to be a part of this topping out ceremony marking a significant milestone in the construction process,” said VLK Principal Monika Castillo. “We have been very fortunate to partner with PBTISD to design the new Agricultural Sciences Complex that will provide students with hands-on learning opportunities.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • blurry image capturing students navigating crowded hallways between classes

    How Human Behavior Data Is Reshaping Campus Facilities Management

    The ebb and flow of students, faculty, and administrators across a campus have a larger impact on maintenance, cleaning, and sustainability than many realize.

  • University of Arizona Approves New Residence Hall

    The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved plans for a new residence hall at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., according to a news release. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and have the capacity for more than 1,200 students, enforcing a new university expectation that all first-year students live on campus.

  • Image courtesy of Kahler Slater

    UW–Madison Announces Completion of Morgridge Hall

    The University of Wisconsin–Madison recently announced that construction is complete on Morgridge Hall, a new academic building, according to a news release. The facility opened September 3 at the start of the fall semester, consolidating the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences into a single facility for the first time.

  • Rhode Island Boarding School Completes Student Dorm Renovations

    St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I., recently announced the completion of a $26-million renovation project on Arden-Diman-Eccles Dormitory, according to a news release. The school partnered with Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) on the new space, which places a new focus on collaborative community spaces open to both boarding students and day students.