Spring Branch ISD
Houston, Texas
The new Ridgecrest Elementary School presented the unique challenge of creating a replacement for the original facility on the same site. Furthermore, the existing school remained in use during construction, dictating key aspects of the planning, design and construction process. The result is a two-story facility for 800 students maximizing interior learning spaces, while accommodating the site constraints. As the new school was nearing completion, the former facility was demolished to make way for additional parking, student drop-off areas and play grounds. Transparency between classrooms and widened corridors allows teachers to make use shared common spaces for those students who need extra time on assignments or who have completed their work early. This flexibility extends the learning environment beyond the traditional classroom, and provides additional opportunities for students to work independently or in small groups.