Skip to main content
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

  • Moline-Coal Valley School District to Consolidate Two Schools into New Facility

    The Moline-Coal Valley School District in Moline, Ill., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff from two existing schools, according to local news. Robert Ontiveros Elementary School will serve as the new home for Lincoln-Irving Elementary School and Willard Elementary School.

  • University of Oklahoma Announces New Campus Master Plan

    The University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., recently announced that it will soon launch a new, comprehensive Campus Master Plan to guide the campus’ physical development during the next decade, according to a news release.

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Announces Acquisition of JJCA

    Wold Architects & Engineers, based in Minneapolis, Minn., recently announced that it has acquired JJCA, an architecture firm based in Nashville, Tenn., according to a press release. JJCA specializes in healthcare and education design; the partnership allows both firms to expand their presence across the country while building on existing strengths.

  • FGCU Breaks Ground on New Health Sciences Building

    Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) has launched construction on a major new academic facility that leaders say will reshape healthcare education in Southwest Florida for decades to come, according to university news.