Experience K-12 Vol 9

EXPERIENCE

TABLE of CONTENTS

Lauren Brown, Principal

Student Voice: VLK Spaces and Social Emotional Well-Being

Sara Koprowski, Educational Planner

03

In This Experience

Dalane Bouillion, Ed.D. Chief Development Officer

Ken Hutchens, Chief Creative Officer

A Bridge to the Future

John Klein, Principal

Alex Nelson, Architect

Clinton Schiver, Principal

Lauren Brown, Principal

Scott Milder, Principal

Bouillion, Ed.D., Chief Development Officer

Hutchens, Chief Creative Officer

Passion is unquestionably the fuel our firm runs on. The caliber of work we do would be impossible without it. At VLK, our passion begins with our clients, those committed educators and brave administrators who themselves have a guiding passion for their students, parents, and communities to provide the highest quality education possible. The drive for excellence and innovation – that passion for excellence – permeates all we do.

In this volume of Experience, you’ll read about several dimensions of passion in our work. VLK Principal John Klein writes about the passion of two neighborhoods collaborating to create one impressive new elementary school. VLK Principal Lauren Brown tells the story of Eastern Hills renovations and how the improvements

to the campus reignited the students’ passions for their high school. Associate Alex Nelson describes the passion of Hutto’s Hippo Nation and how that energy was infused into the design of its football stadium. You’ll find that and more in this volume, from a range of voices on topics including social-emotional connections to the learning environment, our firm’s passionate advocation for public schools, and VLK’s drive for sustainability through intentionality.

Passion is our fuel for our craft, for each other, for our clients, and ultimately for the students, teachers, and staff who walk the halls of the buildings we’re privileged to design.

Bouillion, Ed.D., Chief Development Officer

Dalane

Dalane

Ken

Ken Hutchens, Chief Creative Officer

Dear Reader,

Student Voice: VLK Spaces and Social Emotional Well-Being

Sara Koprowski, Educational Planner

Designing purposeful learning environments that fulfill the academic, as well as the socialemotional needs of learners, has become of increasing interest to educational stakeholders. Studies have shown that intentional design for a learning space can promote a sense of belonging, foster the development of self, provide outlets

for individual learning preferences, and promote collaboration (Oliveras-Ortiz, Bouillion, & Asbury, 2020). According to Asiyai (2011), an appropriate learning environment is key to effective learning and development. She maintains that “such an environment is supportive and productive for functional training of head, heart, and hand” (p. 716).

VLK Architects, Inc. 6

Marine Creek Middle School, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD

Freeport Elementary School, Brazosport ISD

In addition to educators’ efforts to ensure that all students have access to a rigorous curriculum and highly qualified teachers, the condition of the physical environment within which teaching, and learning occurs is also a priority.

VLK Architects believes that all students deserve to feel a sense of well-being in their learning environment and be allowed individual autonomy in reaching their social-emotional learning goals. CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) defines social and emotional learning as:

The processes through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. (CASEL. “Fundamentals of SEL.” CASEL, 11 Mar. 2022, https:// casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/)

Social and emotional learning involves five core competencies that, with intentional design collaboration, can be promoted throughout the physical learning environment. These five core competencies are self-awareness, selfmanagement, social awareness, relationship skills, and making responsible decisions.

VLK Architects collaborates with clients to not only understand their vision to move the learning environment beyond supporting daily needs; but also, how to enhance the impact of purposeful design on students’ overall social and emotional well-being. Students' impressions about their school can have a positive or negative impact on learning, achievement, and overall social-emotional well-being. One elementary student validated this idea during the VLK | CURATION® Student Voice discussion at Midlothian ISD indicating,

The old school barely had any windows. It was dark and gloomy, and it did not make you want to go to school. The new school makes me feel happy, relaxed, and calm to have all this natural light. Now, I am actually excited about going to school.

VLK Architects understands creating effective learning spaces that promote well-being cannot occur without input from teachers and students – the main end users. An integral part of the VLK | CURATION® process allows students to provide their perspective of their current learning environments. During this process of gathering student voice, we gain student insight, their likes and dislikes, and their perception on how the spaces in which they learn may or may not foster the CASEL five core competencies. Recently, the overarching themes students revealed include opportunities to build relationships through collaborative workspaces, self-awareness of the physical conditions of space, environments that promote a sense of calm, self-selection of preferred space to accommodate individual learning preferences, and environments that foster exploration and curiosity. For a school to provide a dynamic and supportive physical learning environment, there needs to be a detectable shift from the traditional way schools have been designed and developed.

A recent trend in educational design has been the intentional placement of flexible and scaled spaces for students to have choice and decision in their preference in learning. Exchange spaces allow for large groups to gather and learn together, hear a speaker, or extend the learning environment to use large materials or separate groups. Our Impact spaces are midsized collaboration areas providing flexibility for about ten students to work together. These spaces provide for group independent time, or areas where pull-out programs may be accomplished. This extension of the learning environment provides for endless opportunities based on curricular needs.

At Energy Institute High School in Houston, one student shared, “The way we collaborate is different at the new school. There is more opportunity to work with one another since we have larger tables, space, and options to all sit together, comfortably. It really helps you.”

Flexible learning spaces and purposefully designed environments provide more opportunities for students to practice working as teams and building relationships that lead to a sense of overall well-being. Student selfselection of preferred space accommodates individual learning preferences and allows for self-awareness between the task at hand and what type of environment will result in personal achievement. When asked, students can explain their thoughts and decision making on the personal selection of learning spaces due to the emotions that are provoked in each.

During VLK | CURATION®, a Sanger ISD student connected his sense of well-being and learning preference to the environment,“a large open space makes you feel freer and more relaxed because there is a sense of anxiety and claustrophobia when you’re in a small room that is cramped.”

The library, instead of being enclosed, it’s part of the school. It is open and I like that we can see other classrooms. There are also small spaces where we can choose to sit and read alone, it helps me focus. It makes me want to go to the library.

Carrol

Having a balance of large collaboration areas such as Exchange spaces, as well as smaller areas, such as our Think spaces, within the overall environment is important when considering student self-management and choice in spatial preference.

Think spaces are small learning environments that allow for autonomy and small group work. These areas are heavily supported with technology for students to have a quiet space for individual study, small group presentation planning, brainstorming, or other small group needs based on district curricular expectations.

During the VLK design process, deep discussion with our clients is of the utmost importance as we continue to connect well-being and the impact of student emotions in their learning environments, knowing how to provide a balance of appropriately sized spaces for instruction variety. When students feel a sense of calm and happiness in environments that promote curiosity and exploration, authentic engagement and a “love of learning to learn” occurs.

Perry

Natural lighting and outdoor learning spaces provide positive psychological and physical benefits to both teachers and students.

Throughout the VLK | CURATION® Student Voice conversations, “windows and outside” are themes that are consistently noted as students’ preference in the learning environment due to feelings of happiness, calm, focus, and joy.

An Energy Institute High School student validated the recurring themes when stating, "In our new science lab, we have a balcony that is connected and opens to the outside. We can choose to do our work on the balcony so we can be in the outdoor environment but still connected to our science classroom. It helps me focus because I like the sun and fresh air.”

VLK designed outdoor learning areas provide space that extends the learning environment to support Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) that are best taught in the sunlight, or with conditions that are difficult or impossible to create indoors. Writable surfaces, water sources, and shade can be provided to best meet instructional intentionality. It is easy to agree with a student from Perry Middle School when she stated, “Sunshine is a big factor in keeping morale up. It just makes you feel good.”

VLK Architects listens to clients in order to connect research, voice, and design to benefit students' well-being within learning environments. Our spaces are designed to allow for student self-awareness, promote a sense of belonging, and instill a sense of pride and happiness for the overall community of users. Student well-being has never been more important than it is now, and our intentional design supports all aspects of learning.

References

ASIYAI, ROMINA. “Students’ Perception of the Condition of Their Classroom Physical Learning Environment and Its Impact on Their Learning and Motivation.” College Student Journal, vol. 48, no. 4, Winter 2014, pp. 716–726.

CASEL. “Fundamentals of SEL.” CASEL, 11 Mar. 2022, https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/.

Oliveras-Ortiz, Y., Bouillion, D. E., & Asbury, L. (2020). Research Paper Commissioned by VLK Architects. Teachers’ instructional decisions and student agency in new purposefully designed learning spaces. Houston, TX: VLK Architects. https://vlkarchitects.com/insights/teachersinstructional-decisions-and-student-agency-in-new-purposefully-designed-learning-spaces

Energy Institute High School, Houston ISD

A Community Asset: The Stadium

Lauren Brown, Principal

“Friday

The fight song blazing from the stands would envelop the crowd, giving a strong sense of school pride to everyone within earshot while parents, grandparents, students, and alumni gathered in the stands and worked the concession stands in support of the students. It was a community event – an entire celebration of a variety of educational components that contributed

Student Career Opportunities

When we think about stadiums, we are often flooded with fond memories of performances on the field or from the stands. At Denton ISD’s C.H. Collins Stadium, there is something special happening in a part of the stadium that participants and spectators alike may overlook:

For some students, a stadium is not just a place to cheer on classmates, but a way to explore a potential vocation. Denton ISD started a program 16 years ago that gives juniors and seniors in the Audio/ Video Production class at the LaGrone Academy (which includes some students from other area schools) the opportunity

to the night’s experience. The specialized instruction required for Friday Night Lights should not be underestimated, nor should facilities in support of the fine arts and athletics be an afterthought. The question of the value placed on a facility intentionally designed to meet the needs of the student is important to consider in order to create this magical environment.

For some students, a stadium is not just a place to cheer on classmates, but a way to explore a potential vocation.

Night Lights” is often the phrase you hear when you think about a district stadium in Texas. Growing up, I was involved in the fine arts, so my own Friday Night Lights experience was watching the halftime show put on by the band, the color guard, and the drill team supporting their team with choreographed routines.

CH Collin Athletics Complex, Denton ISD

to produce football game and marching band productions at C.H. Collins Stadium. The preproductions elements, like graphics and planned visual elements for advertisers, is all done by the students. Students not only operate the camera, but they are also directing, running replay, and assisting with the livestream.

There is a play-by-play announcer, and the students help with the sound mixing of that

Safety and Security

A stadium can be used for a variety of activities: soccer, football, track and field, band, dance, color guard, cheerleading, and possibly graduation. The safety and security aspects of stadiums are fundamental and require thoughtful design, which is often lacking in aging facilities. The paramount objective of a stadium’s architectural design is incident prevention, and the multitude of potential uses must be considered. The Crowley ISD Athletic Complex applies crime prevention through environmental design principles, VLK best practices, and the policies and procedures of the district’s first responders.

The primary safety and security design elements that were considered for the complex include

production. Many Denton ISD graduates attend area universities and take the skills learned in their high school program to additional elevated skills at the university level. North Texas has a wide range of facilities with a need for this skillset from massive venues like AT&T Stadium and American Airlines Center, to smaller ones like Toyota Stadium and Riders Field in Frisco.

perimeter, vehicular, and pedestrian solutions. The perimeter design comprised the incorporation of landscape at the four corners of the stadium, with direct access to the field shielded with berms. Site signage for wayfinding controls ingress and egress. The vehicular drives were designed to separate home-side and visitor-side spectator traffic interactions. Bus parking for fine arts and athletic teams are located at opposite ends of the stadium. The delivery path for concessions is distanced from the stadium’s main gate access. The fencing is designed to deter climbing. A continuous bridge inside the stadium connects the concourse level allowing district police to station officers at all four corners of the stadium.

Hutto Memorial Stadium, Hutto ISD

Strategically located holding rooms in the stadium were placed to remove and isolate any human threat inside the stadium from spectators. Ample lighting is provided throughout the site, including the parking lot, around the stadium, and at the concourse level. To address severe weather threats, the facility is equipped with a lightning prediction and warning system to protect both players and spectators.

Design for the Crowley ISD Athletic Complex was a NCS4 2021 Golden Eagle Award finalist, which reorganizes excellence in architecture, engineering of construction, specifically related to the safety & security of spectators, property, and infrastructure of spectator event facilities.

Overall, the architectural design offers the owner a facility with a long-term, low-cost maintenance program. The site’s safety and security program unite technological, practical, and innovative solutions that will allow the entire complex to operate cohesively and efficiently, while proactively ensuring the well-being of every individual user.

SCAN HERE! to see The Crowley ISD Athletic Complex

Unlimited Value

The bright lights on Friday night beckon many in a community, bringing together a variety of individuals demonstrating pride for a team, a program, or a community. Some drive great distances for the experience of the evening.

A stadium’s value goes far beyond the Friday Night Lights tradition. The students who perform in them are motivated to perform on the field, around the field, and in the classroom as well. Students may find a future vocation in a stadium.

They can be a source of pride for communities – and when appropriately designed, a safe and secure asset. Despite pressures on funding for arts and athletics venues, they are valuable to students’ experiences in our schools. Let the lights of Friday nights never dim.

Hutto Memorial Stadium

SCAN HERE! to see Bill Carrico Athletic Complex

A Bridge to the Future

John Klein, Principal

When students first crossed over Big Fossil Creek, the sounds of ecstatic children could be heard on both sides. This novel, first-time experience of walking, skipping, and jumping as they completed their hike across the 300-foot pedestrian bridge could only be matched by the excitement entering their new school, Cheney Hills Elementary. While a memory many of these kids will remember the rest of their lives, the history and significance of how this bridge would bring two schools, cities, and communities together as one is just beginning to be told by Birdville ISD.

With its roots in Richland Hills dating back to the late 1800s, Birdville ISD is one of the oldest school districts in Texas. A large portion of the district’s growth occurred in the second half of the 20th century; today Birdville ISD is the fourth largest school district in northeast Tarrant County. The district has 32 campuses, serving a growing population of 120,000 residents and more than 22,400 students.

These schools were built in the 1950s, a time when central air-conditioning was not included as part of the typical design for a school. Single-pane windows and sparsely insulated walls and roofs were the norm. Desktop computers and laptops were decades away from being created, and power for such devices was not even a consideration for the architects at the time. Educational instruction was rooted in children sitting in rows, assimilating to rote memorization of facts and figures during this period. While these schools were well-maintained and served each of their communities for over 60 years, it was time for a change.

With old facilities and school-aged children graduating, both the Richland Elementary School and Major Cheney Elementary School communities needed a renewed focus on facilities, equity, and regrowth.

ool

It is a story that many school districts across Texas face – facilities need to be updated.

Birdville ISD’s vision is to replace the smaller, out-of-date school buildings of this vintage, by capitalizing on the scale and size of one, new, state-of-the-art elementary facility to replace two older, smaller, and inefficient schools.

The major hurdle districts work to overcome is the loss of one of the schools within a neighborhood while combining the feeder patterns with the one new school. This discussion and debate usually leads to which site of the two would be selected for the new school to be rebuilt. Once this type of decision is made, it typically leads to hurt feelings in the community that would be losing its neighborhood school, in spite of the fact that it would mean a new school for their children.

Enter the idea of a partner elementary school. What if the district were to build the school on a new site, located between these existing schools? This would be the first step in combining these two communities.

The next step was acquiring land large enough for an elementary school within a built-out area of northern Tarrant County. Luckily, a 16-acre site on the border between Richland Hills and Haltom City was available and almost centered between the outdated campuses.

One problem with the site was the fat that it was separated on the west side by Big Fossil Creek. Students and parents from the Major Cheney community would have to navigate around this obstacle due to this geographical barrier from the west not allowing for access to the site, adding 10 to 15 minutes to their drop-off and pickup schedules.

With this limitation, the district began to explore the possible solution to span the creek with a pedestrian bridge. This would allow the Major Cheney community the ability to drop their kids off on the west side of the creek and cross over to the new elementary school, saving them time

in their daily routines. While favorable to both communities, the true test would come when it was put before voters for approval. In November of 2018, the public overwhelming voted to approve the bond with 73% in favor of the $252 million bond proposal.

Moving into design, the bridge became even more of an influence in directing decisions based on the placement of the building on the site. In one of the first meetings, the district wanted the bridge to be covered, allowing students to walk under a canopy from drop-off, across the bridge, until they entered their new school. In studying the site context of the building, a concept was selected that pushed the building close to west property line and in linear alignment with the covered pedestrian bridge. This idea allowed for the drop-off canopy in front of the school to be used as part of the covered walkway for the students. This simple idea saved the district money by not having to double with separate canopies for this walkway and limited the length of the walk for students. It also brought students from both communities together, as both would enter together at the front entrance.

In the fall of 2021, Cheney Hills opened with students from two different schools coming together as one, the culmination of a plan many years in the making. From idea, to concept, to reality, Birdville ISD, the Major Cheney and Richland Elementary communities, and VLK Architects helped to bring the students together culminating in a state-of-the-art facility that will educate the communities well into the 21st century. In closing, the district’s vision of bringing the children together could be summed up in one simple action. The students formerly of Richland Elementary, in lieu of being dropped off at the front of the school, often ask their parents to drop them off on the west side of Big Fossil Creek, allowing them to cross the bridge and experience the view and nature as they come together with their new classmates from Major Cheney. This singular, simple gesture represents the bridge to the future that has brought these communities together to become one at Cheney Hills Elementary.

Mission-Driven Success: The Value of Establishing a Culture of Excellence

Alex Nelson, Architect

Every project originates from two things: recognizing a need and a creation of goals to meet it. Once funding is established, project teams are assembled, goals are written, and a timeframe is defined.

All leaders will tell you they are looking to deliver a project that is on-time, within budget, and meets the parameters of solving the need. The challenge is to create a framework of trust, teamwork, and integrity that guides the project team from start to finish – to create a mission, that aides the team to stay the course. Our recent work on Hutto Memorial Stadium illustrates the culture of excellence that results from that kind of framework.

Over the last 15 years, Hutto Independent School District has experienced exponential growth. Since 2006, student population has seen an increase of 240%, from 3,700 to an anticipated 8,900 for the 2021-22 school year. As a fast-growth school district, this has caused some growing pains. The need to quickly address the infrastructure of the district at all levels of education was recognized by district leadership, and a bond was formulated and passed by voters in 2019.

A shortfall that also needed addressing was the lone high school’s original football stadium. Built in 1998 while the school was classified as 3A, the facility lacked the capacity and overall look to keep up with the now classified 6A program. With the district looking to add a second high school within the next 10 years, the need for a venue to represent more than 9,000 students was evident.

VLK Architects was awarded the Hutto Memorial Stadium modernization in September of 2020. To ensure the new stadium was ready for the first home football game, the team was allocated a timeframe of three to four months of design and procurement, followed by eight months of construction. Amongst the items that came from programming, the team identified the following requirements:

• Expansion of home and visitor seating to 10,000 seats

• New multi-level press box

• New home and visitor concessions and restrooms

• New visitor fieldhouse

• State-of-the-art audio-visual production

With a defined scope and budget, Hutto ISD recognized the advantages of identifying the general contractor early, and Joeris General Contractors was selected during the schematic design phase to offer cost and schedule insights.

The Mission:

this stadium was to represent a fast-growing community and be put on display from the moment you enter the city.

Before dirt was moved, architect, contractor, and owner came together to establish what was needed to make the project successful.

The importance of what we were about to undertake cannot be understated: this stadium was to represent a fast-growing community and be put on display from the moment you enter the city.

As representatives from each party sat and discussed goals for the team, we collectively realized that, although we all have different backgrounds, levels of experience, and our own individual goals, the whole of the team was greater than the sum of its parts. All team members bring something unique, and all are equally valuable for project success. A team is a group of individuals working together to achieve its goal. But how can different individuals have the same goal?

VLK’s mission is to guide clients through process, collaboration, and imagination to realize exceptional environments. Hutto ISD has great leadership that achieves success by “embracing our uniqueness.” Joeris’s mission is to transform people and places.

We then set out to align our goals to Hutto ISD – a district unique by many standards (they are the only hippo mascot I know) and led by a great leadership team. We all wanted to leave a lasting success that would carry on the legacy of not only future Hippos, but also those past and present. Although we built a collective mission for our current project, the goal was to create a mindset and a culture of trust, integrity, and diversity the district could build upon for years to come.

I love that amongst the 10 VLK Values, the first listed is to Build Strong Relationships. I truly believe this is what sets VLK apart from most. Trust and mutual respect amongst your team members can set the tone, not only when things are going well, but also when tough conversations are required. I distinctly remember the early July Owner, Architect, Contractor meeting when the team came to the realization that we would need to push our opening date back. The contractor, up to this point, was exhaustive in their efforts to keep us on schedule (look at that tent!).

But factors out of our control like COVID, rain delays, and material procurement, to name a few, ultimately led us to take a hard look at our end goal.

With plenty of opportunities for finger pointing, the team’s alignment and trust enabled us to fight through a challenging tipping point of the project. I am an optimistic person by nature, and I knew because of the relationships we built from the onset, our team would trust our established collective mission.

The spirit of Hippo Nation past, present, and future is illustrated in the details. Exemplified by the 80-foot-tall silo honoring their German heritage, the empty chair at the 50-yard line representing Prisoners of War, and the illuminated Hippo to highlight the greatest mascot in the country, all carefully curated to represent what truly makes this community unique. VLK is built on the relationships it cultivates organically, as each project is tailored to what the client desires. Given the time and budget constraints, the team came together under a single mission statement that guided an extremely successful project.

Does every construction project need to start with a tangible mission statement? No; but the first step towards building a culture of excellence is providing a framework for current and future success, and that starts with the team’s mindset.

We set out to honor Hippo Nation past, present, and future not only through the design, but with transparency, trust, and respect. What culminated was a one-of-one icon for the community, and a relationship that will withstand long after the final completed punch list item.

Continued on next page>>

Sustainability Through Intentionality

Clinton Schiver, Principal

Climate Change

My twins were born in January of 2013. Around that time the Fort Worth StarTelegram had an aerial photo of North Fort Worth as its front-page cover. I saved that picture in the baby book my wife had started for the twins. She asked me why I wanted something like that. I told her it wasn’t for me; it was for the twins so that when they were older and aware of where they lived, they could look at the picture and see their home and how it was when they were born.

Some might believe climate change is science fiction, and some might believe it is science fact. In either case, it is important to acknowledge that this phrase, and the concepts behind it are dominant topics of our younger generations. Gen Z (defined by the Center for Generational Kinetics as people born between 1997 and 2012) and Millennials (born between 1977 and 1996) link self-image with the causes they support. A Center for Generational Kinetics survey found that roughly 70% of Gen Z and Millennials said tackling climate change should be the highest priority for our country; thus, it continues to be present in newscasts and trending on Twitter. Schools have a massive advantage when it comes to noble causes. Schools are mission driven to the betterment of society today and tomorrow. Schools also have an advantage on being environmentally sustainable.

Environmental sustainability encompasses a large array of concepts and mindsets. It can range from the lofty goals of complete carbon neutrality and net zero energy, to the localized goals of limiting water waste and saving electricity. At the most basic

level it is the concept that something can be completed and repeated over the long term.

In 2018, 600 million tons of construction and demolition were generated in the United States, roughly twice the amount of generated municipal solid waste. Of that 600 million tons, approximately 90% of this is from demolition, and 10% is from new construction.

Quantifiable Impacts

Sustainable design contributes to measurable goals that align extremely well with a school district’s goals. Understanding it is a priority that districts contribute to the success and vitality of the community it serves, VLK designs schools for a long lifecycle. Building for the long term may not be obviously sustainable, yet it is extremely impactful. When a school is designed with a life expectancy of 25, 50, 75, or even 100 years, it directly reduces the amount of construction demolition waste that will be landfilled in the future. Also consider that this vast amount of material was first sourced from the earth, manufactured, shipped, and then installed. The selection of products with high durability and longevity minimizes the raw materials and energy that would be needed to build replacements on shorter cycles.

Proper foundations are designed for the specific soils of the site. On top of that solid foundation, the use of steel, concrete, and masonry structural materials ensure the bones of the building are strong and will last. On the recently designed Sherman High School, the initial project was designed for 2,300 students and master-planned for future expansions up to 2,600 students. That master-plan led to design decisions that placed windows in locations for future hallways, and made sure utilities were run beyond the expansion footprint. This makes the process of future construction projects less intrusive to the operating campus, as well as reducing the amount of demolition and waste material.

Using a highly durable wall material like ceramic tile in high traffic areas maximizes the durability and longevity of the space. Without the tile, the gypsum board would last only a few days, requiring frequent repairs, painting, and constant cleaning. Cleaning is a costly endeavor often using harsh chemicals that are not environmentally friendly. From our beginnings 37 years ago, VLK has provided high durability wall finishes like ceramic tile in high traffic areas. After three decades of use, the walls in the corridor and cafeteria of Hoover Elementary School continue to look great and perform as planned.

More than 76% of all U.S. electricity use and more than 40% of all U.S. energy use are used to provide comfortable, well-lit, residential, and commercial building.

Increasing energy efficiency is another example of tangible benefits with ties to the goals of sustainability. School buildings built today are vastly more energy efficient than those built even a decade ago.

The early adoption of LED lighting by schools created a fundamental shift in the lighting industry. This translated to much less electricity being used for lighting, from roughly 1.2 watts per square foot in 2003, to 0.72 watts per square feet in the 2021 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code. While 0.48 watts per square foot doesn’t seem like much, when applied to a typical elementary school, it reduces electricity consumption by roughly 39,312 kwh per year (70,000SF operating 1,260 hours per year). This reduction in kwh of use is equivalent to 39Mcf of natural gas or 39,312 pounds of coal consumed at the power plant.

Through the last two decades many districts switched to ground source heat pumps, commonly called geothermal for its advantage on energy efficiency. This HVAC system was able to achieve energy savings of more than 20% when compared to roof top units and other traditional systems. The adoption of geothermal by so many school districts led manufacturers of traditional systems to play catch up on energy efficiency. Today many different HVAC systems achieve energy efficiency on par with geothermal. The increase in competition across system types has moderated cost increases over the long term, while providing large gains in energy efficiency.

Social Impact

Quantifiable results can also provide a social impact. As mentioned at the outset, climate change is a dominant topic for Millennials and Gen Z. Each community is different, yet this trend is happening everywhere. A subtle hint is vintage shops. These are increasing in popularity not because the 80s and 90s were that awesome, but because reusing old things and producing less waste is good in and of itself. Schools are already doing so much to be sustainable, all that is needed is being internally aware and then communicating activities and outcomes. Younger generations want to make the world a better place for future generations – and want to work at places that are doing this. Teachers have always been driven to prepare students for a successful future, and they will be excited to know their place of work is making that future world a better place for them. Parents want to know their children are part of a sustainable system; and all taxpayers will love that their school district is saving taxpayer money every day.

My twins are now nine years old, and the changes since they were born make my wife and I pause. Parents subscribe to the idea of making the world a better and safer place for their children. That photo from the front page of the Star-Telegram I saved looks far different today. Some wonderful things have come about; great new places to eat and shop, as well as many new neighbors are now present. I often think about these changes and wonder if it is leading to that better future. I grow more confident of that better future as I see technologies continue to advance, and good actors like school districts to drive that innovation and improvement. You’ve been doing great things in your classroom, and you’ve been doing great things building those classrooms. Be proud, tell your story, and continue to innovate!

STEAM Center, Allen ISD

Azle Elementary School, Azle ISD

The Story of Eastern Hills High School: A Campus Reimagined

Lauren Brown, Principal

At VLK, we have a passion for design; it’s the very nature of our business. For any kind of project, our team finds inspiration for design, and through structured collaboration with our clients, we translate that inspiration into a space that accomplishes the goals established at the project’s outset. That was certainly the case as we approached the renovations and additions to Fort Worth’s Eastern Hills High School (EHHS).

While VLK’s designs met the Fort Worth Independent School District priorities for the campus, it did much more. Along with the physical transformation of the building came a transformation of the spirit of the student body; a rekindling of the passion for the school that had gone dormant during years of neglect and transformational change in the neighborhood. The reimagined campus of EHHS is an example of not just inspiration leading to design, but also of design leading to inspiration. To understand the transformation of EHHS, it’s best to start with an understanding of its history.

The development of the Meadowbrook area around Eastern Hills High School transitioned from a rural area in the 1920s to a community of 3-bedroom 2-bath homes after World War II. To alleviate overcrowding at Polytechnic High School and Handley Junior High/Handley High School, Eastern Hills opened its doors in the fall of 1959 to grades 10 through 12. Sophomores from Handley Junior High and Meadowbrook Junior High meshed with juniors and seniors from both Handley High School and Polytechnic High School.

There was a strong sense of school pride that came with the opening of this new facility. Charged with the job of choosing a mascot and school colors, in a secret vote, 600 students chose the Highlander with

the colors of blue, gray, and white. The Alma Mater song was even written by a student that year.

As 303 seniors graduated on May 30, 1962 at Will Rogers Auditorium, the Class of 1962 officially became the first graduating class to complete three years at Eastern Hills High School. Strong traditions at the school were established, like the Big E Beauty Pageant and the Senior Walk, where senior students walk through the hallways of the elementary and middle schools that feed into Eastern Hills as a moment of reflection for them, and a moment of aspiration for the young students who one day hope to graduate themselves.

Fort Worth Independent School District experienced a decline of white students from the overall school population from 1968 until 1987, with the most dramatic decrease in white enrollment in 1971 when court-ordered busing began. At that time, Eastern Hills experienced a demographic shift in ethnicity. Fast forward to 2018, and traditions had been forgotten, the words of the Alma Mater had lost meaning, and the students had long yearned for a renewed sense of pride.

The Fort Worth community voted to approve the 2017 bond for capital improvement projects which included a refresh and realignment of programs to meet the district’s 21st century learning model at all the area high schools. Fort Worth Independent School District identified district priorities for the campus that included college and career readiness, major renovations to classrooms, restrooms, common areas, and library, along with security and technology upgrades. Eastern Hills High School had the opportunity to align more than the learning model; the campus had the opportunity to reinvigorate the students, staff, and local community.

Continued on next page>>

BEFORE

BEFORE

The student-inspired media center has more natural light and is more accessible for students from around campus. Besides comfortable seating, and spaces for individual and group study, the student media center is also a place to host career fairs, large group collaborations and other school events.

Through a student-only charrette, students mapped their walking paths through the school day, identifying nodes of highest congestion. Hallways were widened and finishes were upgraded to improve circulation, overall morale, and security.

AFTER AFTER

The roughly 142,000 square foot renovation and 49,000 square foot addition integrates collaboration throughout the campus, along with program alignment with 21st century learning upgrades. Work began with the VLK | LAUNCH® process which allows our team to capture stakeholder voices to serve as inspiration as we create conceptual designs. Uniquely, the Eastern Hills VLK | LAUNCH® process only involved students. They created the conceptual framework, vocabulary, and vision of the project.

Listening to the students give voice to their challenges and needs was so moving some of the adults in the room were moved to tears. These students had lost a sense of pride in their school but appreciated the opportunity to be heard. The VLK team listened and were inspired.

The three-story building addition worked with the topography of the site and, along with the existing building, houses approximately 81 teaching spaces including classrooms, science labs, CTE, fine arts, media center, and special program spaces all outfitted to accommodate the new instructional model with increased access to technology. There was also a fitness center addition and renovation that transformed a previously filled-in natatorium creating a hub for all students. The design of the media center located in the new addition was inspired by our collaboration with the students. They were presented with the media center design, and were able to work together with the VLK team on how this space would be used and what it means to them, as its users. The new multilevel media center with a broadcast room, learning stairs, and collaboration rooms anchors the addition on the north side of the school. The existing library was renovated to a fine arts space. There are learning spaces that go beyond the

The class of 2018 can look back with that sense of pride they were always striving for during their years at Eastern Hills.

Student Quote

classroom. The collaboration areas throughout the school promote dynamic learning environments and are destinations for the students and teachers. The wider corridors within the existing building constraints were accomplished by removing underutilized lockers. Modernizing finishes include wood-look ceiling accents, large format tile, and lighting replacements. The new entrance is designed to enhance the face of the school, embrace its legacy and pride, while creating a secure vestibule. Even designing graphics at EHHS was an interactive process with teachers and students to getting the chance to redefine and refresh the identity and sense of pride in the school.

School Board Trustee Tobi Jackson advocated for the students of Eastern Hills High School and supported the vision for the major additions and renovations that took place across the campus. Upon completion, Ms. Jackson was walking the halls and had a student come up to her who was so appreciative of what the community was doing for students in the district with the additions and renovations. The investment in the future of these students is already being recognized.

While renewing the sense of pride in EHHS was an accomplishment itself, we saw a shift in attitude quantitatively as well. In the school year just prior to the renovation (2017/2018), the discipline record reflected 32% of the student population, while after the campus renovations (2020/2021) the discipline record reflected just 2% of the student population (according to the Texas Education Agency Campus Level Annual Discipline Summary).

The class of 2018 can look back with that sense of pride they were always striving for during their years at Eastern Hills. They can feel accomplished that the students of today are learning and growing in the very spaces they inspired VLK to design. And in turn, our team is proud to have partnered with Fort Worth ISD to breathe new life into this campus and to deliver the type of learning environment the students and community of Fort Worth deserve.

“I personally believe that Eastern Hills High School has made the greatest transformation, and I think you will agree once you tour. It’s the most inviting of all the schools – you’re standing in the entryway. I’d say that the architect got it done right… and about her, we’ll talk in a moment. And just our students’ attendance and enrollment moving in the right direction tells me ‘we got this right.'"

“This is a great moment for our Eastern Hill family. Our students and our community absolutely deserve the very best.”

Tobi Jackson (FWISD

Board President)

Katrina

Smith (EHHS Principal)

Advocating for Texas Public Schools

Scott Milder, Principal Public schools are the economic engine of Texas. Many forces influence the state’s economy, but none more so than the independent school districts of Texas. Collectively, public schools are a sophisticated machine that produces job and college-ready graduates who move into the workforce and enable private and public sector organizations to thrive.

Texas has enjoyed decades-long prosperity. Credit for this sustained success should go in large part to the millions of highly trained professional educators who have served this great state since our first schools opened their doors. Sadly, amongst the political rhetoric and theater of late, many have forgotten the fundamental purpose of public education, which, to paraphrase, is to provide for the public good, not the personal good of each individual. Also forgotten is the servant heart that leads each Texan who chooses to teach and work in our public schools. As VLK’s K-12

Practice Leader, I get out of bed each day on a mission to defend their honor against those who are so quick to criticize and condemn their good, God-inspired work. It’s also vital that we defend the institution of public education itself. Public education has always been important in the state of Texas. In its Declaration of Independence from Mexico in 1836, The Texas Republic included the lack of a system for public education as among reasons for separation. After joining the United States in 1845, the Texas Constitution called for support and maintenance of a system of free public schools and establishment of a permanent school fund.

Public schools are a crucial part of the fabric of not only Texas, but the country as whole, offering the ability for anyone from any background a path to reach a full potential.

In the Supreme Court decision of Brown vs. Board of Education (1954), Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote:

Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments. Compulsory school attendance laws and the great expenditures for education both demonstrate our recognition of the importance of education to our democratic society. It is required in the performance of our most basic public responsibilities, even service in the armed forces. It is the very foundation of good citizenship. Today it is a principal instrument in awakening the child to cultural values, in preparing him for later professional training, and in helping him to adjust normally to his environment. In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education. Such an opportunity, where the state has undertaken to provide it, is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms.

Justice Warren had it right. Unfortunately, misguided efforts are underway to privatize public education. While many of those who support this movement may have good intentions, we cannot stand for the dismantling of our public schools. We must unite and mobilize the supermajority of Texans who believe in and support their neighborhood independent school districts to step up as advocates for the institution of public education, and more specifically, the children served and the educators serving. This is the heart of my advocacy work and it’s why my wife Leslie and I founded Friends of Texas Public Schools, one of the first private advocacy organizations to form in defense of the state’s public schools. Unfortunately, the conversation about our public schools was, and remains, very negative, often hostile, and frequently meanspirited. We wanted to do something to counter all that negative energy. By educating Texans about Texas public schools, we aim to underscore their significance, strengthen confidence, and restore pride in them. By uniting Texans around their public schools, we seek to lift spirits among those who work there, while injecting additional resources – all of which will lead to even greater student and operational performance.

My employer, VLK Architects, very generously donates all the time I need to run our nonprofit Friends of Texas Public Schools, and advocate for public education. They host my work and are a top corporate partner of the organization. VLK’s leadership understands our mission, and more importantly, the very real political challenges that unnecessarily invade our public school system. Advocating for public education is a massive grassroots undertaking. We’ve partnered with just about every other advocacy organization that’s formed over the last dozen years, which has allowed us to expand our reach. The more people we can reach, the more pressure we can put on state leaders at the polls to keep them honest.

Legislators, governors, lieutenant governors, and the rest listen to those who vote.

As a 501c3 nonprofit, we cannot engage in lobbying, nor do we want to lobby. Plenty of organizations lobby our state leaders. We like to focus our energies on educating Texans, which includes legislators, and mobilizing Texans to make our collective voices heard at the polls. Texans love their neighborhood public schools, and they want state leaders to stop politicizing them.

Since Friends of Texas Public Schools is an apolitical organization, I volunteer on the board of Texas Parent PAC, a bi-partisan political action committee focused exclusively on helping to elect candidates and re-elect legislators who are allies of the state’s public school system. Our goal at Texas Parent PAC is to free up the futures of legislators who are openly and consistently hostile toward public education. Most recently, the Texas Parent PAC interviewed more than 40 candidates seeking election or re-election to the state legislature. The group endorsed 33 candidates in the March 2022 Texas primary and will issue additional endorsements in the primary runoffs in May and the general election in November.

Despite political rhetoric to the contrary, Texas public schools have never been more successful than they are today. Our schools are filled with highly skilled, professionally trained educators who love kids.

Public schools are more prepared than any other modern option to properly educate Texas children. Without a strong system of free public schools serving the public good, and funded collectively by every Texan, our state and nation cannot thrive.

Moving Forward

Sloan Harris, CEO | Partner

“Oh great, today is music!” my fourth-grade son complained. Days with P.E. are the best co-curr days, music the worst according to him. This morning I took my kids to school per a typical morning. We talked about what was on the agenda for the day. He is taking the MAPPS test, and my fifth-grade daughter…well, I can barely keep up as she has made the full transition from a fairly simplistic day of school to seven different periods per day. The morning is about perfect: the weather, my kids’ health, my firm’s activities, our accomplishments this year, and all that we are planning for in the coming years ahead. I am hardly able to comprehend that just two years ago things were quite the opposite. We were in the throes of a global pandemic, and there was so much fear and uncertainty about everything, especially the economy and our schools. Everything we knew as normal, or took for granted, was turned upside down, and it’s fair to say that the deterioration of logic, rationale, and social decorum ravaged through our communities like wildfire.

So, it is such a relief that we are back to normal. Wait, except inflation is at a 40-year record high. Supply chains continue to radically delay everything. Construction costs are at a level that no one could have ever predicted. There still is not enough labor in the trades, or in our profession, to keep up with demand. Social/culture wars and political polarization are ripping our communities apart, and amongst all of that we are entering a legislative session where the most fundamental and critical system, our public education system, will presumably be underfunded, again, and new legislation will be passed that continues to strain that system and the devoted educators who are fighting for our children every day.

It is a different pandemic now; one of socioeconomics, politics, and the human condition. It’s quite easy to be engulfed by it, but unlike the last pandemic, we have control of

the outcome of this one and how it affects our friends, family, and society. At VLK, we constantly ground ourselves in our core values, and in times like now, that could not carry more weight. Two core values that are very applicable are “Build Strong Relationships” and “Deal Truthfully and Equitably with Everyone.” Those two alone can address so many of the problems we are facing and find pathways to overcome. That is why we honor our partnerships with our clients, construction managers and contractors, and consultants. In normal times, there are complex challenges to work through, and today they are certainly exacerbated. When dealing with those challenges through the lens of those core values, you can see them differently and, more times than not, find optimal solutions. In addition, we are relentlessly planning and evaluating best practices in the development of our projects. Our clients cannot afford the status quo, the standard, or the ways that have worked in the past. It requires evaluation down to the most finite detail to have a real effect of the value and cost of the project. We are also collaborating with key lawmakers and political influencers in Austin to drive responsible legislation that benefits our public school system. At VLK, we are committed not only to exceptional client service and forward-thinking educational design and planning, but also to servant leadership that impacts the work of our educators and the greater good of our public education system and the communities it serves.

Everything we do is rooted in value to our clients. That philosophy was certainly amplified when COVID hit, and it continues to be our heartbeat now as we navigate these tumultuous waters. How does this benefit the client? Is this the best value to the project? The answer to these questions drives everything we do.

Sloan Harris, CEO | Partner