St. Agnes Academy : Center for The Sciences & Student Services

Houston, TexasHigh School

Project of DistinctionTurner Partners Architecture, LP

2008 Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture

St. Agnes Academy : Center for The Sciences & Student Services

Center for the Sciences & Student Services BuildingCommunity Environment:

In 2006, St. Agnes Academy launched the “Our Legacy, Tomorrow’s Promise –The Centennial Campaign” to raise $12 million toward the Center for the Sciences and Student Services building along with renovations to the fine arts wing and chapel.

Parents, students, teachers, faculty and major foundations became vested in the progress and direction for this forty-six year old campus and its one hundred and two year old institution.

A major challenge presented in this project was to incorporate complex perspectives of the community; andat the same time, delivering the “new” without forsaking the “old.”

Biology LaboratoryCommunity Environment: Continued

To gain the students’ perspectives of what they envisioned for their futurecampus, the Academy’s art students were solicited to participate in a design charette during portions of the project.

Elements of the students’ designs were integrated into the decision-making and design process.

To execute with accurate programming information, the design team held a number of program verification sessions to garner consensus with students,parents, faculty and alumni prior to developing the Master Planning options.

Physics LaboratoryLearning Environment:

The idea for this plan is that of Jefferson’s “academic village," which advances the idea of learning as a shared process that emphasizes between those involved in learning as a key component in the pursuit of knowledge.

The science classrooms, which were designed with maximum flexibility, allow the opportunity for any of the various science classes (biology, chemistry, physics, or general science) to be taught in any or all of the classrooms.

Raptor Technologies, a web-based visitor-tracking security system able to perform background checks, was implemented for this new campus entry and then incorporated throughout the campus.

Campus EntranceLearning Environment: Continued

As the gateway to the campus, the rotunda is very architecturally open and serves the entire campus community.

The building is a three (3) level structure including a 12,300 SF ground floor on which new offices for Student Services, as well as conference facilities for up to 250 persons, are situated.

Stacked above are two additional floors housing eight state-of-the-art science laboratory/lecture rooms encompassing 23,700 SF of space.

In all, the building contains approximately 36,000 SF of gross building area.

Rotunda StairwellLearning Environment: Continued

The building is designed to be a low energy-consuming building.

The rotunda is partially tempered rather than conditioned by surrounding conditioned spaces and by return air passing back to the air handlers.

The rotunda is protected against solar gain by insulated low-E curved glass.

The mechanical system is designed to provide comfort and high quality indoor air for all occupied spaces as efficiently as possible.

2nd Floor LobbyLearning Environment: Continued

Lobbies function as student lounges, and double as gathering and workspaces, which promotes group discussion and collaboration.

Student Service ReceptionLearning Environment: Continued

Corridors are outfitted with built-in seating alcoves and power outlets to provide students the opportunity for individual study,as well as encouraging fellowship.

St. Agnes Academy CampusPhysical Environment:

The academy is located on approximately 16 acres in which existing buildings and parking occupy the majority of the site.

The small site required the structure to go vertical with small floor plates, thus 3-stories.

This addition contributes to the existing campus as a compatible neighbor, yet it establishes enough of an individual identity to provide orientation for visitors and students.

The building anchors the east end of the campus center.

The Lantern

Physical Environment: Continued

This three-story rotunda evokes a lantern signifying St. Agnes Academy’s role as a beacon for the spiritual and intellectual growth of its students.

Layers of opaque brick and stone panels with glass planes provide building transparency and open views of the activities within key spaces.

Solarized ClassroomsPhysical Environment: Continued

The laboratories above are awash in natural light that can be controlled through use of exterior sun shades and interior blinds.

High levels of energy efficiency are achieved through MEP systems and building envelope features such as low-E glazing and sun shades.

West Façade Physical Environment: Continued

The design concept is a dialogue between the past and future.

The exterior façade resembles theexisting campus architecture.

While the masonry veneer has been peeled away at the corners to expose a metal clad structural skeleton, the vertical curtain wall circulation system symbolizes a new anatomy of scientific inquiry.

Rotunda Skylights

Planning Process:

This project required project management expertise in building faith-based educational spaces, but more importantly, a partnering with progressive-thinking contractors and suppliers who could bring ingenuity and sensitivity to operate while the school was still in session.

Uniting a traditional architectural design approach with innovative, research methods, the design team led by Turner Partners Architecture and prime contractor, Fretz Construction was able to delivery under stringent safety and time constraints.

Point of Entry

Planning Process: Continued

The mission “accomplished” was the welcoming through the Center’s doors for the start of the 2007 academic year and giving students a fresh, new entry point in education.

With an integrated project management approach, careful pre-planning and scheduling was the applied science to producing the success outcome of this project.

Monument CrossPlanning Process: Continued

“The final product owes its success to many carefully orchestrated iterations of the master plan with observation and input from those directly affected.

Faculty concerns were solicited at every changing phase of construction to guarantee the sound construction of technologically sophisticated, state-of-the art facilities for the advancement of science and the fine arts.

Today we are able to meet the needs of nearly 900 students, double the number of those enrolled when this campus first opened in 1962.”

Monument CrossPlanning Process: Continued

“Moreover, the new construction and careful refitting of our original school will enable us to successfully incorporate environmentally sound management principles and technologies in the years to come.

Turner Partners Architecture struck a beautiful balance of aesthetics, tradition, and pragmatism in the planning and design of our Science Center. It has been our great pleasure to partner with them in this magnificent effort.”

- Sister Jane Meyer, Head of SchoolSt. Agnes Academy

Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture 2008 Project Data

Submitting Firm : Turner Partners Architecture, LPProject Role ArchitectProject Contact Jack A. DuranTitle Executive Vice PresidentAddress 333 Cypress Run, Suite 350 Houston, Texas 77094City, State or Province, Country Houston, Texas, USAPhone (281) 497-1040

Joint Partner Firm:Project RoleProject ContactTitleAddressCity, State or Province, CountryPhone

Other Firm:Project RoleProject ContactTitleAddressCity, State or Province, CountryPhone

Construction Firm: Fretz Construction Project Role General ContractorProject Contact Bob Fretz, Jr.Title Project ManagerAddress 6301 Long Drive Houston, Texas 77087-3405City, State or Province, Country Houston, Texas, USAPhone (713) 641-6777

Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture 2008 Project Details

Project Name

St. Agnes Academy – Center for the Sciences & Student Services 

City Houston State TexasDistrict Name (private)Supt/President Sister Jane MeyerOccupancy Date August 2007Grades Housed  9-12th 

Capacity(Students) 800Site Size (acres) 16 acresGross Area (sq. ft.) 36,000 sq. ft.

Per Occupant(pupil) 47 sq. ft. gross/net please indicate gross 

Design and Build?  

If yes, Total Cost:  

Includes:  

 

If no,  

Site Development: $195,217Building Construction: $7,576,235Fixed Equipment: $266,522Other:  

 

Total:  $8,037,974