Sadie Harris Woodard Elementary School

Houston, Texas

Firm

PBK

Client

Cypress-Fairbanks ISD

Area

115,085 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$20,100,000

Completion Date

09/2015

Design team
Richard Chi, LEED AP BD+C; Eric Smith, AIA; Brandon Ross, LEED AP BD+C

Situated in the master-planned community of Canyon Lakes West, the Cypress-Fairbanks district’s 54th elementary school, Sadie Harris Woodard, opened its doors in August 2015. The 1,520-student elementary school (grades Pre-K-5) has a steel-frame structure constructed slab on grade with metal panels, as well as a brick-and-stone veneer building envelope.
The plan is strategically organized around central administration and library spaces that serve as the heart of the campus. This area fuses together a lively, two-story academic block with a secondary active block that contains the gymnasium, cafeteria and music rooms.
The school’s interiors showcase a dynamic hybrid of bright colors with warm accents, as well as large educational super-graphics and kiosks that illustrate elements of the school’s performance and curriculum accomplishments. Demonstration tools such as photovoltaic panels, a nature garden with planting beds, and a water-collection cistern engage students in ecologically sensitive learning activities.
The facility is designed to meet Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) criteria and fosters a healthful learning environment. Building orientation, water reduction, durable and sustainable materials, and daylight in every classroom were priorities.