VLK Architects Breaks Ground on Mullendore Elementary School Replacement Campus with Birdville ISD4/18/2023 On Monday, April 17, VLK Architects joined Birdville ISD for the groundbreaking of Alliene Mullendore Elementary School. This project is a replacement campus for the original Mullendore Elementary School located in the southern area of North Richland Hills. The existing Alliene Mullendore Elementary campus was built in 1955 and serves an economic and ethnically diverse student population of approximately 334 students. The school’s namesake, Alliene Mullendore, began her teaching career at the age of 17 and began working in Birdville ISD in 1944. She served as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal during her 45-year tenure, and she was the first woman elected to the Birdville ISD Board of Trustees. “While the building is going to change, the memories and traditions will continue,” said Merritt Dobecka, Alliene Mullendore Elementary School Principal. “We look forward to watching the building come to life and all the memories that will be made moving forward.” The campus will be home to students in pre-k through fifth grade. Stone, exposed steel, wood, and glass, along with the sweeping curves of the ceiling design, create an airy, sophisticated atmosphere. The campus also includes innovative training, conference, and collaboration spaces. “VLK is excited to be a part of rebuilding Mullendore Elementary, a legacy school for Birdville ISD, and bringing the community a next-generation facility for educating its students for decades into the future,” said John Klein, VLK Principal. The existing school will be demolished in June and new construction is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2023. While the new campus is under construction, students will move to the former Richland Hills Elementary for two years. The new Mullendore Elementary School will open its doors to students in the fall of 2025. from https://vlkarchitects.com/insights/vlk-architects-breaks-ground-on-mullendore-elementary-school-replacement-campus-with-birdville-isd
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On Thursday, April 13, VLK Architects gathered with Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD students, administrators, and community members for the groundbreaking of the new Career and Technical Education and Science Wing at Pecos High School. “VLK is grateful to be a part of the groundbreaking celebration for the new CTE/Science wing at Pecos High School,” said Monika Castillo, Principal at VLK Architects. “The collaboration with the district, it's community, and BTC has enabled us to provide an engaging facility for students to explore opportunities and prepare them for future endeavors.” The two-story CTE and Science Wing will be added to the existing Pecos High School campus. The building offers a variety of special program spaces for students to gain technical experience including cosmetology, veterinary technician, and culinary arts. The building will also be home to the district’s esports competition team and features a multimedia lab with large gaming displays. PBTISD has also partnered with Reeves County Hospital to design a health science lab to simulate the local hospital facilities. The building is designed to offer ample natural daylight in innovative and collaborative learning spaces. “This building will be a state-of-the-art facility where our students can develop knowledge and skills to carry them beyond high school,” said Brent Jaco, Superintendent of Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD. “Our Eagles will truly soar to new heights with the education and skills they will gain in this new CTE & Science facility.” The nearly 70,000 sf CTE and Science Wing is funded through the 2021 Bond and is projected to open in July of 2024. To learn more about the design, check out our animation of the CTE and Science Wing. from https://vlkarchitects.com/insights/vlk-joins-pecos-barstow-toyah-isd-for-the-groundbreaking-of-the-new-cte-and-science-wing-at-pecos-high-school Perry Middle School was the first school officially constructed by Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD in 1915, becoming Carrollton High School in 1936 and Perry Junior High in 1962. From 1962 to 2008 the campus had numerous additions and renovations and was always the “old high school” with pieces added. In 2017, CFBISD had a vision of a renovation to make this campus into DeWitt Perry Middle School; through the creation of grade level “villages” to intentionally create a learning environment that visually represented their legacy and unified the student body while providing a next-generation learning facility. The VLK Pixel team worked with the district, students, teachers, and alumni to create a comprehensive experiential graphic package for the campus. This included the collection of the history of the campus, research of current artifacts and elements that would need to be preserved, and a study of the culture of the school. The school’s mascot (the eagle) was leveraged to tell the story of the history of the school, as well as to create a unified environment for the students and teachers. The VLK Pixel team studied the life stages of an eagle from an eaglet to a full-grown eagle, and the changes in habitat and routine that eagles progress through as they grow older. These stages were then tied directly to each of the three grade level villages on the campus and function as an immersive visual representation of the stages of life a student is experiencing as they progress through middle school. Sixth grade is the Nest, as our learners in this grade level are just entering their middle school careers and transitioning into adolescence. They are welcomed with the straw textures of an eagle’s nest, and accents are meant to be bright and white at this level. Seventh grade is Perch, as our eagles grow to adventure away from the nest but aren’t quite ready for full flight yet. Perch employs imagery of tree lines and features gray tones and accents throughout the village. Eighth grade is the Summit, as our learners have reached the peak of their middle school career and are ready to take flight and transition to high school. This village features expansive mountain ranges, representing the many adventures these learners will journey into during their year. Perry Middle School serves about 1,000 students and includes a significant population of students that come from dual-language backgrounds and families. Wayfinding graphics are translated into the five most spoken languages in the school to ease navigation for students and family members for whom English is not their first language. Experiential graphic design is just what it says it is – using graphic design in a space to enhance the experience of the user. It enhances those architectural solutions by telling a story and providing an intentional destination for the students that call these places their educational home during the three years they spend at Perry Middle School. from https://vlkarchitects.com/insights/case-study-the-power-of-experiential-graphics-at-perry-middle-school The American Institute of Architects has announced their 2023 Honor Awards, selecting Gabriella Bermea, Associate and Design Architect at VLK Architects, for the AIA Austin Emerging Professional Achievement Award. This award recognizes professional achievement and leadership by architects in their first 10 years of practice. Bermea has dedicated her career to K-12 architecture and her commitment goes beyond her projects at VLK. Her devotion to public education is echoed by her involvement in architecture and education organizations alike including Texas Society of Architects, National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, Pflugerville ISD Education Foundation, Association for Learning Environments, Young Architects Forum, among others. “This recognition is a result of the collaborative culture with our incredible educational partners and the districts we have had the privilege of serving — and the result of doing work I truly love, am inspired by, and believe in,” said Bermea. “I’ve been fortunate to have dedicated my professional career thus far as an advocate for public education and as an educational architect and designer believing in the mission of our educators and empowering our students to experience exceptional learning environments.” Bermea has been an active member of AIA Austin for five years and has held numerous leadership positions at local, state, and national levels. She is also involved in the ACE Mentor Program of Austin and is passionate about increasing the number of Latina licensed architects in the United States. “Gabriella was one of the youngest licensed architects (at 26) in our firm,” said Dalane Bouillion, Ed.D., Chief Development Officer at VLK Architects. “Additionally, she was named Associate (at 27), making her one of VLK’s youngest serving on our leadership team. She represents our firm with a knowledgeable and positive attitude as a VLK Ambassador, which is a group of motivated individuals who onboard new employees at our firm, making her one of the first ‘friends’ that a new hire makes.” Bermea is also a finalist for the Austin Under 40 Award in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction, and the recipient will be announced later this year. from https://vlkarchitects.com/insights/vlks-gabriella-bermea-receives-austin-aia-emerging-professional-award |
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