Jose M. Lopez Middle School

San Antonio, TexasMiddle School

New ConstructionPfluger Associates Architects

with Chumney and Associates Architects

2008 Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture

Jose M. Lopez Middle School

Community IntegrationCommunity Environment:

With a site in a newly developing community north of San Antonio, the North East Independent School District embraced the opportunity to encourage an ongoing partnership between the school and the surrounding areas.

The site selected posed the dilemma of designing a campus on a plot of land that includes a 70 foot fall across its length. The team transformed this challenge into a design opportunity. The District called for a campus that would be flexible, functional and responsive its natural hill country setting. A prototype middle school was developed to meet the needs of the district and was used on this site.

By creating new building geometries on different level terraces, much of the natural site was preserved. The natural drainage of the site was carefully considered and maintained. In addition, the orientation of the site provides ample natural daylighting, but shields out much of the harsh Texas heat.

Building IdentityCommunity Environment:

The design objective was to create a middle school prototype that would allow students, parents, teachers, and the community to be proud to call their own.

The upper and lower site amenities are unified by a central terraced courtyard. This courtyard features a transparent glass rotunda and elevated bridge. The bridge links the extracurricular and fine arts programs to the core-learning environment. The bridge also offers after hours access to the gymnasium and cafeteria.

The gymnasium and cafeteria were designed as multi-use, adaptable spaces to offer cultural opportunities for the students and community to enjoy music, dance and drama performances.

These elements are design components that designate the building’s primary entrance, and define it’s unique architectural character.

Collaborative LearningLearning Environment:

The design facilitates an innovative learning environment through the organization of classrooms into three distinct grade level houses.

A collaborative learning center (CLC) in each house supports individual discovery and teamwork that is easily supervised by surrounding classrooms.

Students using the CLC can perform independent study at forty family/consumer or industrial technology modules. Modules include interior design, bridge design, fashion design, personal finance, architecture, robotics, and many more.

An open, inclusive educational environment encourages inquiry and discussion that develops essential skills and relationships between students and teachers.

Variety of PlacesLearning Environment:

The prototype school design was based on two models for middle school teaching: - Team Teaching- School within a School

Included within the middle school prototype of the academic wing are a library, career and technology classrooms. The academic wing also includes the grade level houses with their CLC. Attached directly to each CLC are desktop computer labs, teacher workrooms, and small meeting rooms. The CLC is also linked to both indoor and outdoor classrooms.

The variety of designed places offered within the middle school prototype are intended to foster both creativity in teaching as well as flexibility in types of learning environments. This goal that has been realized at Jose M. Lopez Middle School.

Site ConsiderationsPhysical Environment –The site for the Jose M. Lopez Middle School presented challenges to the project team, which eventually shaped its design.

The spaces were organized in a manner that capitalized on the natural fall of the site. One story programmatic spaces were located on the “high” side of the site, while tall/two-story spaces were located on the “low” side.

Clerestory windows and deep overhangs provide ample daylight without allowing excessive heat gain. The edge of the second floor corridor has been pulled away from the southern wall, allowing natural light to filter down to the lower level corridor.

The ultimate result of these efforts is a facility that boasts the lowest energy costs of any of the 13 middle schools in the district.

Variety in LearningPhysical Environment –

Color coded grade level houses establish identity and aid students and teachers in finding their way.

Learning occurs outside as well as indoors on this campus. A semi-enclosed courtyard serves as an outdoor classroom between each of the grade level houses.

Each academic house includes several flexible learning zones that further enhance the students’ education. The collaborative learning center, teacher workrooms, computer labs, small group conference rooms and widened corridors encourage impromptu and varied learning opportunities.

The building design creatively employs economical uses of a variety of common materials – maintaining a visually interesting palette of colors and textures.

8TH GRADE

7TH GRADE

6TH GRADE

Facility EvolutionPlanning Process:

The District recognized a need to improve its facility design to serve middle school aged students. A committee made up of all stakeholders toured 12 of the best middle schools across Texas. The Superintendent charged the group to seek the best practices that support middle school curriculum to create a state of the art middle school prototype.

Small groups studied specific activities like curriculum, extra curricular activities, and team teaching to come to determine how best to design an innovative new middle school.

Many hours of collaboration and teamwork resulted in a “PLACE” not just a “space” for these middle school students. This prototype would provide innovative educational opportunities for students now and into the future.

Concept ImplementationPlanning Process:

Goals were established during the benchmark process and were followed through in an efficiently laid out plan that emphasized the division of the school by grade level pods. Each pod is self-sufficient and contains its own central learning center and support spaces.

This design successfully merges innovative education practices with the neighboring environment.

Jose M. Lopez Middle School responds to the surrounding land and community, while it also features comprehensive technology integration, flexibility as a teaching environment, and affords its students the opportunity to excel.

Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture 2008 Project Data

Submitting Firm : Pfluger Associates ArchitectsProject Role ArchitectProject Contact Kent NiemannTitle PartnerAddress 1917 New Braunfels Ave., Suite 201City, State or Province, Country San Antonio, Texas, USAPhone (210) 227-2724

Joint Partner Firm: Chumney and Associates ArchitectsProject Role Associate ArchitectProject Contact Frank AmaroTitle Project ManagerAddress 3330 Oakwell Court, Suite 310City, State or Province, Country San Antonio, Texas, USAPhone (210) 828-9788

Other Firm:Project RoleProject ContactTitleAddressCity, State or Province, CountryPhone

Construction Firm: Joeris General ContractorsProject Role General ContractorProject Contact Stephen WalterTitle Vice PresidentAddress 1390 E. Bitters RoadCity, State or Province, Country San Antonio, Texas, USAPhone (210) 494-1638

Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture 2008 Project Details

Project Name Jose M. Lopez Middle School 

City San Antonio

State Texas

District Name North East Independent School District

Supt/President Dr. Richard Middleton

Occupancy Date September 2007

Grades Housed 6th, 7th, 8th

 

Capacity(Students) 1200

Site Size (acres) 35 acres

Gross Area (sq. ft.) 198,954 sq. ft.

Per Occupant(pupil) 165.80 gross

gross/net please indicate  

 

Design and Build?  

If yes, Total Cost:  

Includes:  

 

If no,  

Site Development: $3,876,349

Building Construction: $24,802,899

Fixed Equipment:  

Other:  

 

Total: $28,679,248

Programmatic InnovationsThe design team studied the space usage of existing facilities within North East ISD and other school districts. The determination was made to base the facility design on a 3/5-2 middle school teaching model.

A 3/5-2 teaching model includes three teaching teams with five core class teaching periods, one team planning period and one individual teacher planning period.

However, by providing space for floating teachers that includes meeting areas, conference rooms, storage, restrooms and phone rooms the school is flexible enough to increase capacity by 400 students without adding portables.

You can maximize the utilization of every classroom every period of the day with a 3/6-1 or 4/5-2 teaching model to provide for temporary growth.

3 / 5-23 Teams per grade

5-2 Teaching scheduleIdeal MS model

(140 Students/Teacher)

Capacity at 100% is 1260Capacity at 90% is 1134

Increases number of students per teacher to 168

3 / 6-1

3 Teams per grade6-1 Teaching schedule

Capacity at 100% is 1512Capacity at 90% is 1361

Maintains teacher to student ratio

4 / 5-2

4 Teams per grade5-2 Teaching schedule

At least one Team floats5 teachers per grade

Capacity at 100% is 1680Capacity at 90% is 1512

Two alternatives for temporary growth to accommodate larger numbers of students than ideal 3 / 5-2 middle school model

Merging innovative learning spaces and the neighboring environment produced this successful design. Not only does Jose M. Lopez Middle School respond to the surrounding land and community, it also features comprehensive technology integration, is flexible as a teaching environment, and affords students many opportunities to grow and excel.

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