Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Texas Debuts New Elementary School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 01/10/22

The Lamar Consolidated Independent School District (Lamar CISD) in Fort Bend County, Texas, about 40 miles west of Houston, celebrated the start of 2022 with the opening of a new elementary school. Fletcher Morgan Jr. Elementary School finished construction in December 2021 and now plays home to about 750 students in grades PreK–5.

According to a news release, Morgan Elementary is the district’s 29th elementary school and the fourth to be designed by VLK Architects. VLK held meetings with school leaders to design a space that would increase engagement among the curriculum, students, teachers and parents.

“VLK Architects has done a phenomenal job designing our new campus, Morgan Elementary,” said Dr. Roosevelt Nivens, Lamar CISD Superintendent. “It truly is a beautiful campus equipped with everything that our scholars need to have an exciting and impactful learning environment. We are grateful for this new addition to our Lamar CISD community.”

The new facility was proposed as part of the 2017 bond election. It features learning areas organized into pods containing 6–8 classrooms, restrooms, storage space, collaboration space and outdoor areas. The design also includes modular furniture, media stations and activity walls to ensure a dynamic, active learning environment. Collaborative spaces like music and art rooms are located next to the gym and cafeteria to reduce ambient noise throughout the building. The full facility covers about 48,400 square feet.

“It’s an honor to be able to work with Lamar CISD in opening another elementary school that serves the students, faculty, and staff in this fast-growing community,” said Todd J. Lien, AIA, Managing Partner of VLK Architects.

The total cost of the project came in at $24 million, funded as part of the bond. The district partnered with VLK Architects for design and Drymalla Construction as the general contractor.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Education Design Showcase Awards

    Spaces4Learning has opened submissions for the 2026 Education Design Showcase! The awards program launched in 1999 with the goal of celebrating innovative, practical solutions in the planning, design, and construction of K–12 and higher-education facilities. EDS recognizes new developments that help achieve optimal learning environments, as well as the architecture firms that brought the ideas to life.

  • California K–12 District Completes Elementary School Campus Replacement

    The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) in Richmond, Calif., recently announced the completion of a replacement campus for Lake Elementary School, according to a news release. The school has capacity for 470 students between Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and sixth grade.

  • DLR Group Appoints New K–12 Education Practice Leader

    Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that it has named its new global K–12 Education leader, Senior Principal Carmen Wyckoff, AIA, LEED AP, according to a news release. Her teams have members in all 36 of the firm’s offices in the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Europe, and Asia.

  • UNL Kiewit Hall

    Designing for Engineering Excellence: Integrating Sustainability and Wellness at UNLs Kiewit Hall

    Kiewit Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln exemplifies how academic institutions can integrate sustainability and wellness into modern learning environments. With an integrated and collaborative team approach, Kiewit Hall addresses enhanced learning and creativity, physical health, and mental wellness, and fosters a sense of community through innovative design, operations, and policy solutions.

Digital Edition