Lake Belton High School

Temple, Texas

Firm

O’Connell Robertson

Client

Belton Independent School District

Area

394,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$103,500,000

Completion Date

07/2020

Design team: DLR Group, Structures, Pape-Dawson Engineers, Inc., Studio|16:19 LLC, COMBS Consulting Group, Foodservice Design Professionals, BAi, Schuler Shook

A new high school for the fast-growing Belton Independent School District offers the opportunity to support the district’s flexible, 21st-century learning model. The new Lake Belton High School will be the district’s second high school.
The program is designed to establish four communities that feature classrooms centered on a shared learning commons. Those spaces offer a level of transparency that enable student-teacher interaction and encourage independent work.
Staff office areas with room for planning and collaboration, dubbed “Think Tanks,” are strategically placed within each Learning Community to enhance collaboration. Noteworthy is the centrally situated Digital Learning Center and Library, which features a commons area and “porch” that will act as the learning hub of the new high school. Additionally, the connection between student wellness, academics, and athletics is vital to the client.
Main Street, connecting all aspects of student learning and wellness, stretches from the central hub to athletics, the learning commons, and the auditorium. Career and technology studios include agriculture, welding, and construction while allowing for provisions for health science, culinary, digital labs, and a CTE think tank.