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
| Mar 7, 2014
Thom Mayne's high-tech Emerson College LA campus opens in Hollywood [slideshow]
The $85 million, 10-story vertical campus takes the shape of a massive, shimmering aircraft hangar, housing a sculptural, glass-and-aluminum base building.
| Mar 7, 2014
Chicago's 7 most threatened buildings: Guyon Hotel, Jeffrey Theater make the list
The 2014 edition of Preservation Chicago's annual Chicago's 7 list includes an L station house, public school, theater, manufacturing district, power house, and hotel.
| Mar 4, 2014
If there’s no ‘STEM crisis,’ why build more STEM schools?
Before you get your shorts in a knot, I have nothing against science, technology, engineering, or even mathematics; to the contrary, I love all four “STEM” disciplines (I’m lying about the math). But I question whether we need to be building K-12 schools that overly emphasize or are totally devoted to STEM.
| Feb 26, 2014
Adaptive reuse project brings school into historic paper mill
The project features nontraditional classrooms for collaborative learning, an arts and music wing, and a technologically sophisticated global resource center.
| Feb 24, 2014
First look: UC San Diego opens net-zero biological research lab
The facility is intended to be "the most sustainable laboratory in the world," and incorporates natural ventilation, passive cooling, high-efficiency plumbing, and sustainably harvested wood.
| Feb 14, 2014
Must see: Developer stacks shipping containers atop grain silos to create student housing tower
Mill Junction will house up to 370 students and is supported by 50-year-old grain silos.
| Feb 14, 2014
Crowdsourced Placemaking: How people will help shape architecture
The rise of mobile devices and social media, coupled with the use of advanced survey tools and interactive mapping apps, has created a powerful conduit through which Building Teams can capture real-time data on the public. For the first time, the masses can have a real say in how the built environment around them is formed—that is, if Building Teams are willing to listen.
| Feb 13, 2014
University officials sound off on net zero energy buildings
As part of its ongoing ZNE buildings research project, Sasaki Associates, in collaboration with Buro Happold, surveyed some 500 campus designers and representatives on the top challenges and opportunities for achieving net-zero energy performance on university and college campuses.
| Feb 5, 2014
Extreme conversion: Atlanta turns high-rise office building into high school
Formerly occupied by IBM, the 11-story Lakeside building is the new home for North Atlanta High School.
| Feb 4, 2014
World's fifth 'living building' certified at Smith College [slideshow]
The Bechtel Environmental Classroom utilizes solar power, composting toilets, and an energy recovery system, among other sustainable strategies, to meet the rigorous performance requirements of the Living Building Challenge.
