Cedar Ridge High School
Cedar Ridge High School is designed to embody the values of Round Rock Independent School District while also serving as the prototype for all existing and future high schools within the district. The new facility is approximately 375,000 square feet and is designed to serve 2,400 students from grades 9 through 12. To achieve the successful implementation of RRISD’s new high school, our team facilitated collaborative workshops with groups comprised of administrators, teachers, community stakeholders, students and parents. Our team of architects, planners and designers presented to the various groups and facilitated large and small group discussions. Concepts were developed to create a community learning center supportive of the instruction models discussed and developed within the Round Rock Independent School District. As a result, the design fosters an integrated career and technical academy high school that include project based learning academies while still providing a comprehensive high school model that could be used in a variety of teaching delivery models. The 375,000 square foot high school also includes additional functions located on the east side of the courtyard that are for the general student body such as the black box theater that opens up to both the cafetorium and the outdoor courtyards; a competition gym with a state-of-the-art weight training room; art classrooms equipped with a pottery kiln and large artwork drawers; and a modern, fully equipped culinary arts kitchen. The incorporation of technology within the school includes the use of hard wired personal computers along with dual use student laptops supported by wireless internet throughout the school. All instructional classroom spaces are equipped with overhead projectors with high and low technology infrastructure for teacher and student control combined with interactive smart boards. In addition to allowing all learning spaces to receive natural daylight, the courtyards promote natural ventilation for a cooler outdoor climate; vital to spring and early fall months in Texas. The inviting outdoor courtyards are the heart of the campus. They provide a flexible space for circulation, break-out learning, and serves as a social hub for the students as well as accommodates other multi-purpose functions using the building as a secure perimeter. Naturally, these courtyards act as a safe and secure environment for the students and promote a college-like campus feel. The sustainable design strategies for Cedar Ridge High School were identified early during the programming and design process. The overall site design concept implements simple passive design strategies including building orientation to support climatic solar shading and careful building placement to reduce costly site excavation. The building configuration incorporates multiple small-learning clusters separated be three outdoor learning courtyards allowing all learning spaces to receive natural daylight. These courtyards not only provide secure access to outdoor spaces for the students to enjoy throughout the day, the courtyard design also decreases the storm water runoff from an otherwise very large building roof. The collection of courtyards also includes a series of tall individual overhead canopies along with a lower, more pedestrian canopy. This canopy runs north and south along the cafeteria, cyber café and the media center providing weather protection and shade for outdoor group activities and student circulation. The courtyard design also promotes natural ventilation for a noticeably cooler outdoor climate, vital to enjoying the outdoors during the late spring and early fall months in Texas. Located on previously undeveloped farm land in the City of Round Rock, great care was taken during the master planning process to utilize only the necessary land and rededicate as much as possible to native vegetation. Sixteen percent of the 97-acre site is land that is left undisturbed or re-vegetated with native landscaping. This practice not only provides a pleasant buffer between the school and the main arterial roadway, it also significantly decreases demand on potable water for landscape irrigation. Students can then learn from these types of outdoor spaces as a science pond has been designed to use diverted storm water allowing the study of wetland plants. The primary focus of any school is the learning environment, therefore the four academy-focused small learning clusters are oriented to gather optimal daylight from the north and south and to limit the exposure of these regularly occupied spaces from the heat of eastern and western exposures. Additionally, many of the spaces do not require artificial lighting during a typical school day. Research indicates this design strategy will result in higher student academic performance, and provide an added benefit of decreasing the school’s overall operating cost. The new two story building is comprised of concrete tilt-up construction with steel building framing, curtainwall/storefront windows systems with low-e glazing, natural limestone, plaster, metal panel and built-up and low-sloping standing seam roof systems. In order to maximize construction value and ensure on-time completion of an aggressive schedule, tilt up concrete panels were used as the primary structural component. The industrial aesthetic commonly associated with tilt up buildings constructed was not compatible with the school district’s desire for a show case high school. At Cedar Ridge High School the skeleton is tilt up construction, but in many places this structural skeleton is given a skin of local limestone or light gauge metal panel. This allowed all structural elements to be in place early in construction, while also providing a more sophisticated architectural vocabulary. The use of concrete, complimented by natural limestone, reinforces the permanence of the architecture and anchors the building to the site. Ribbons of glazing are strategically integrated into the architecture maximizing the indoor/outdoor connection while also shading solar heat gain. As a growing community, Round Rock Independent School District practices thoughtful growth for a sustainable future while providing 21st century learning environments that promotes the importance of environmental stewardship. Cedar Ridge High School is LEED certified with the United States Green Building Council. Project Description:
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