A new K-12 STEM center in a Houston suburb is the venue for robotics learning and competitions along with education about other STEM subjects. An unused storage building was transformed into a lively K-12 school space for students to immerse themselves in STEM subjects.
Located in Texas City, the ISD Marathon STEM and Robotics Center is the first of its kind in the district. Designed and built by Pfluger Architects and Bartlett Cocke, the facility is accessible to all students in the district. It includes an open, flexible arena to host robotics competitions and a control room for students to manage cameras and audio during tournaments. The facility also includes a fabrication lab for metal and woodworking, classrooms for advanced engineering courses, and a maker space for elementary students to explore STEM subjects.
Large bay windows and overhead and sliding doors flood the spaces with natural light and create an inviting, open atmosphere. Each design element and material used throughout the space is thoughtfully crafted to support students’ curiosity and growth.
A partnership with Marathon Petroleum Corporation helped the district offset the cost of equipping the facility, creating a bridge between career and technical education and lucrative jobs in the industry. Marathon contributed $1 million to the project.
The facility has already hosted several competitions for the district’s award-winning robotics team and is hosting robotics camps for pre-K through 6th grade students this summer to expose young people to exciting STEM careers.
On the project team:
Owner and/or developer: Texas City Independent School District
Design architect: Pfluger Architects
Architect of record: Pfluger Architects
MEP engineer: DBR
Structural engineer: CSF Consulting
General contractor/construction manager: Bartlett Cocke
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Nov 18, 2021
2021 K-12 School Sector Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. K-12 school facilities sector
PBK, Gilbane, AECOM, and DLR Group head BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest K-12 school facilities sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2021 Giants 400 Report.
2021 Building Team Awards | Nov 17, 2021
Caltech's new neuroscience building unites scientists, engineers to master the human brain
The Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena wins a Gold Award in BD+C's 2021 Building Team Awards.
Designers / Specifiers / Landscape Architects | Nov 16, 2021
‘Desire paths’ and college campus design
If a campus is not as efficient as it could be, end users will use their feet to let designers know about it.
K-12 Schools | Nov 14, 2021
New Blackwater Community School completed for Gila River Indian Community, in Arizona
Construction on the new Blackwater Community School, a two-story structure on the Gila River Indian Community, located southeast of Phoenix, Arizona, was completed on August 31, 2021.
K-12 Schools | Nov 10, 2021
K-12 school design innovation: 'Learning Everywhere' and the mobile classroom
Last September, AIA San Francisco awarded the Professional Category in its 2021 Future Classroom Competition to a five-person team from Culver City, Calif.-based Berliner Architects. The firm was selected for its “Learning Everywhere” idea that features a mobile strategy for education at school, home, on field trips, and in transit. BD+C's John Caulfield discuss that concept with Richard Berliner, AIA, Principal, Berliner Architects.
Cladding and Facade Systems | Oct 26, 2021
14 projects recognized by DOE for high-performance building envelope design
The inaugural class of DOE’s Better Buildings Building Envelope Campaign includes a medical office building that uses hybrid vacuum-insulated glass and a net-zero concrete-and-timber community center.
Education Facilities | Oct 20, 2021
Kenneth K.T. Yen Humanities Building completes for The Pennington School
Voith & Mactavish Architects designed the project.
| Oct 14, 2021
The future of mass timber construction, with Swinerton's Timberlab
In this exclusive for HorizonTV, BD+C's John Caulfield sat down with three Timberlab leaders to discuss the launch of the firm and what factors will lead to greater mass timber demand.
University Buildings | Sep 28, 2021
Designing for health sciences education: Specialty instruction and human anatomy labs
It is a careful balance within any educational facility to provide both multidisciplinary, multiuse spaces and special-use spaces that serve particular functions.
| Sep 20, 2021
K-12 school design trends for 2021, with Wold's Vaughn Dierks
K-12 school design exert Vaughn Dierks discusses the latest K-12 school design trends and needs.
