Central Texas A4LE Chapter Selects 2021-2022 President

FGM Architects (FGMA) in Austin, Texas, recently announced that Design Principal Rebecca Richter, AIA, ALEP, LEED AP, RID has been selected as the 2021-2022 President of the A4LE (Association for Learning Environments), Central Texas Chapter. Richter leads FGMA’s PK-12 school design team and joined the firm in January 2020.

Most recently, her work has included the design and construction of St. Austin Catholic School for students in grades PK-8. The project is scheduled for completion in 2023 and will be located across the street from the main campus of the University of Texas at Austin. Amenities will include collaborative learning areas, rooftop gardens, play areas, and a basketball court.

Richter’s career has spanned more than 30 years, and her focus has primarily been educational design. A news release states, “She is committed to creating spaces that support the way students learn and finding balance between the intended use of a space, its larger cultural context, and the natural environment in which the facility resides. Two key concepts inform her approach: design thinking, a human-centered, iterative process which prioritizes the needs of end users; and pattern language, which encompasses the myriad components of a design process.”

A4LE was founded in 1921. Richter has served as an active member of the Central Texas Chapter for more than 15 years and was elected to its board in 2012. She also served as the Program Coordinator from 2017-2019 and the President-elect during 2019-2020. The chapter has more than 250 members.

“I’m passionate about innovative learning environments and the rich conversations it brings to the table,” said Richter in a press release. “I also love building communities in schools and connecting the dots of relationships with those spaces.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Chartwells Launches Campus Dining Evaluation Framework

    Contract food-service management provider Chartwells Higher Education recently announced the launch of BLUEPRINT, according to a news release. The evaluation framework was designed to provide a data-driven and customizable roadmap towards optimizing campus dining services and, by extension, the student experience.

  • 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.

  • UTampa Breaks Ground on STEM Academic Facility

    The University of Tampa in Tampa, Fla., recently broke ground on one of its largest academic facilities ever, according to a news release. The Dickey Science Innovation Center will measure 153,000 square feet and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • Tennessee Middle School Completes Health, Life Safety Renovations

    The Giles County Board of Education in Pulaski, Tenn., recently announced that a series of renovation projects has been completed at Bridgeforth Middle School, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects & Engineers and Brindley Construction to modernize building systems at one of the district’s oldest schools.