New High School Planned in Austin, Texas

The Austin, Texas office of global architecture and design firm Perkins+Will has been selected as the architect for Austin ISD’s (Texas) new $80-million Eastside Memorial Early College High School and International High School, following the board’s recommendation last night. Located at the original L.C. Anderson High School campus on Thompson Street, the facility is part of the district’s recently approved $1.05-billion bond program and is one of 16 schools slated for campus improvement projects or replacements throughout the district.

Perkins+Will’s role as lead architect on the project will include designing the first new ground up high school in almost twenty years in Austin ISD.  It will be designed around the district’s vision to “Reinvent the Urban School” and include multi-purpose community rooms and a gallery area in celebration of the L.C. Anderson High School legacy. The new school will be located at the site of the original African American school that was forced to shut down in 1971 by court order.

“We are honored to be awarded this meaningful project for Austin ISD,” said Angela Whitaker-Williams, associate principal and Austin education practice leader at Perkins+Will. “The alumni of the original school are thrilled the new school will reopen as a new hope for the community about the same time as their 50-year class reunion. We are deeply honored to play such a key role in preserving this important part of the school’s history and building a new future for Eastside Memorial Early College and International High Schools.”

The high school, based on multiculturalism and career tech programs, will be across the street from the Eastview campus of Austin Community College, presenting unique opportunities for higher education collaboration for the Early College programs.

Featured

  • URI Cuts Underwater Ribbon on New Ocean Robotics Laboratory

    The University of Rhode Island recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory at its Narragansett Bay Campus, according to a news release. Two students used a remotely operated vehicle to cut an underwater ribbon in a 30-by-20-foot test tank.

  • Missouri Child Development Center Completes $2.3M Expansion

    The Urban Sprouts Child Development Center in St. Louis, Mo., recently announced the completion of a $2.3-million expansion and adaptive reuse project, according to a news release. The new space includes a retail café, outdoor learning space, and a support office building.

  • Houston-Area High School Receives Best Project Award from ENR

    Tomball West High School near Houston, Texas, recently received a K–12 Education Best Project Award in Engineering News-Record’s 2026 Texas & Southeast Best Projects Awards, according to a press release. The new facility was completed in May and opened its doors to students for the fall 2026 semester.

  • St. Lucie County, Fla., Breaks Ground on New K–8 School

    St. Lucie Public Schools in St. Lucie County, Fla., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new K–8 school, according to a news release. The district partnered with Spiezle Architectural Group, Inc., for the design of the upcoming Ft. Pierce K–8 School, which comprises six buildings covering 215,000 square feet.