Add as a preferred source on Google

New Eagle Mountain High School Designed to Utilize Natural Features

Eagle Mountain High School

Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District's newly built Eagle Mountain High School has opened its doors to students for the first day of school. The facility, designed by VLK Architects and made possible by a voter-approved bond proposal passed in 2017, marks the Texas district's fourth comprehensive high school, with capacity for 2,400 students.

A key component of the architectural design was the determination to take advantage of the location's natural features, according to a news announcement. The site's hilly terrain, including a once-dry pond and dry creek bed, was retained and incorporated into the campus design. For example, the pond was filled with 37 million gallons of water for landscape irrigation, and an enclosed bridge was built over the dry creek bed, to allow students to cross between the school's academic wing, dining areas, fine arts spaces, and athletics facilities safely. In addition, the campus utilizes a geothermal mechanical system for energy savings and lower maintenance costs.

Specially designed learning spaces include classrooms for robotics, floral design, agriculture, and STEM labs; facilities for band, choir, art, dance, and theater programs; and athletic areas including a stadium, fieldhouse with an indoor practice facility and weightroom, and spaces dedicated to baseball, softball, gymnastics, cheer, soccer, and tennis.
  
"The process and thoughtfulness Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD places into district facilities reflects their stewardship of the entire community," said Lauren Brown, VLK principal-in-charge, in a statement. "Eagle Mountain High School's design supports the district's instructional needs, commitment to energy-efficient system design, and the implementation of cohesive, student-focused learning environments inside and outside. As EMHS develops their traditions and culture, the outcomes will be generational and will be for the greater good of the community that supported the vision and success of the young learners."

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Embry-Riddle Breaks Ground on New Office Building

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced that construction has begun on a new office building for its campus Research Park, according to a news release. The university partnered with Hoar Construction on the 34,740-square-foot Center for Aerospace Technology II (CAT II), which will be used for research and lab purposes.

  • South Texas K–12 District Debuts Region’s First Electric Bus Fleet

    The Valley View Independent School District in Pharr, Texas, recently announced a partnership with Highland Electric Fleets to launch the district’s—and the region’s—first fleet of all-electric school buses, according to a news release.

  • UNT Dallas Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for $100M STEM Building

    The University of North Texas at Dallas in Dallas, Texas, recently celebrated the opening of its new, $100-million STEM Building, according to local news. The ceremony on Dec. 2 preceded the first day of classes in the facility on Jan. 12, 2026.

  • Texas State University Completes Stadium Renovations

    Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, recently announced that it has completed a series of additions and renovations to its football stadium, according to a news release. Formerly known as the Bobcat Stadium End Zone Complex, the Johnny and Nathali Weisman Football Performance Center is an 85,000-square-foot expansion featuring hospitality spaces, banquet spaces, exterior concourses, and upgrades to the field house.

Digital Edition