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

  • Miami University Approves New $242M Multipurpose Arena

    Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, recently announced that its Board of Trustees has approved construction of a new multipurpose arena at Cook Field, according to university news. The $242-million project will serve as a new centralized hub for student life and create space for economic development on campus.

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.

  • Construction Begins on New University Research Vessel

    Boat-building company All American Marine recently announced that it has begun construction on a new catamaran research vessel for the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) in Port Aransas, Texas, according to a news release.

  • Kimball International Releases Curated Design Support Program

    Commercial furnishings company Kimball International recently announced the launch of a new end-to-end design support program, DesignSuite. According to a news release, its goal is to guide architecture & design professionals and dealer partners through the process from vision to specification.