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Elementary No. 59 will have a focus on community interaction, including flexible classroom sizes and a connected library and cafeteria.
Elementary No. 59 will have a focus on community interaction, including flexible classroom sizes and a connected library and cafeteria.
Elementary No. 59 will have a focus on community interaction, including flexible classroom sizes and a connected library and cafeteria.
Elementary No. 59 will have a focus on community interaction, including flexible classroom sizes and a connected library and cafeteria.
Elementary No. 59 will have a focus on community interaction, including flexible classroom sizes and a connected library and cafeteria.
While the school’s opening may be more than a year away, Cy-Fair ISD has detailed some of the unique design elements, security features and site plans for the yet to be named Elementary School No. 59 in the Miramesa development.
Elementary School No. 59 is expected to be substantially complete by April 24, 2024, with construction beginning Nov. 1 of this year. The school will be located on Miramesa Drive and West Road near Lone Star College-CyFair and the Berry Center.
Cy-Fair ISD has contracted architectural design firm Huckabee to design the space.
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The two-story school will be equipped with large and small flex space classrooms that can combine to form even larger spaces, according to a presentation by Huckabee delivered during the Sept. 8 school board work session. The campus’ site plan includes multiple outdoor play areas, a walking track, and space for eight portable buildings.
"We really wanted to take a look at how we have wind, how we have sun, how that affects the building, how it affects the students and how it affects how we design the site," said Brendan Hoffman, principal with Huckabee. "We took a look at those things and then we said let's lay that out in a way that's functional for your team, all the way down to the transportation of student, bringing parents onto the site, bringing buses onto the site and having certain areas designated for those things."
Three concepts used to design the school are student autonomy to encourage age-appropriate independence and expression; a power commons design that blurs the lines between common spaces to enhance functionality; and campus identity based on the facility’s role in the community.
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"Interestingly enough those three concepts are not mutually exclusive," said Kerri Brady, VP of educational practices for Huckabee. "There is a way for a design solution to incorporate all three of those concepts into it. That's exactly what ended up happening in discussions and the initial workshop, was really pulling pieces of all three of these concepts to be able to pull them together into one."
One example of the campus’ unique features is that two important common spaces – the cafeteria and library – will be directly connected.
"The difference in this particular layout is there is a stronger connection between the cafeteria and the library," Brady said. "There is a portion of the wall that is shared between those two spaces that is able to be opened. There's some opportunity to have some free flow of students during the school day and after hours for events. So, the doors can be closed, the doors can be opened, but it allows a stronger connection between those two functionalities."
The total student capacity planned at the school, including portables, is 1,532.
Security and safety measures for Elementary No. 59 include security fencing around the main building, portable buildings and play fields, vestibule access standard across CFISD schools and classroom phones. Security cameras, lock down buttons and card reader access locks will also be installed.
Elementary No. 59 is located in the Langham Creek watershed, 2,000 feet from the creek and outside of the 100- and 500-year floodplain according to FEMA. Floors have been elevated to protect the building from flood damage. Additional on-site detention is planned at the campus as well.
Interior finishes for Elementary No. 59 include luxury vinyl tile, porcelain tile and sealed concrete reflecting the CFISD logo colors.
For more information visit cfisd.net.
Chevall Pryce is a reporter for the northwest editions of the Houston Chronicle's community newspapers. Pryce covers regional news including education, business, local government, transportation and nonprofit organizations. He was previously a reporter for Community Impact Newspaper and graduated from Texas A&M University in 2017 with a degree in Journalism. He has been with the Houston Chronicle since September 2018 and is originally from Dallas, Texas.
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