STEM-focused school will cater to students who don’t speak English

The Eastside Memorial Early College High School and International High School, designed by Perkins+Will, will offer a STEM-focused curriculum that will provide specialized education for students with little to no proficiency in the English language.

The school, located in Austin, Texas, will sit on the site of the original L.C. Anderson High School, a historic African American high school that closed in 1971 following federal desegregation. The new facility will blend the old and new by incorporating elements of the original structure into the design scheme. The original, mid-century entrance, band hall, choir room, cafeteria, and an original classroom wing will all be preserved and rebuilt.

Eastside memorial high school entrance Courtesy Perkins+Will.

The entrance to the former location of the gym will become a community center entrance with a gallery that tells the stories of L.C. Anderson High School’s history. The gallery will include a timeline of the former school’s history, legacy medallions, and display cabinets for objects of historical significance.

The low-profile red-brick building will be complemented by a new, taller section built primarily with metal and glass. The taller, four-story section of the building will feature learning space and student-focused classrooms. The school will feature maker labs, two gymnasiums, a health science lab, and a multi-use outdoor classroom courtyard with a performance stage, quiet reflection areas, and sensory gardens.

Eastside memorial high school interior Courtesy Perkins+Will.

The $80-million project represents the first ground up high school in Austin Independent School District in almost 20 years. The education facility will make use of passive heating and cooling, natural daylighting, an its proximity to public transportation and bicycle routes in an effort to achieve LEED Silver certification.

The school is slated for completion in 2021.

Eastside memorial high school outdoor classroom space and courtyard Courtesy Perkins+Will.

Eastside memorial new four-story section Courtesy Perkins+Will.

LPA Architects conducted a post-occupancy evaluation, or POE, of the eSTEM Academy, a new high school specializing in health/medical and design/engineering Career Technical Education, in Eastvale, Calif. The POE helped LPA, the Riverside County Office of Education, and the Corona-Norco Unified School District gain a better understanding of which design innovations—such as movable walls, flex furniture, collaborative spaces, indoor-outdoor activity areas, and a student union—enhanced the education program, and how well students and teachers used these innovations.

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