Project Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy, Dallas Client Dallas Independent School District Architect SHW Group Design Team Terry Hoyle, AIA; Vandana Nayak, AIA; Mike Elmore, AIA; Jennifer Deng, AIA; Amy King, AIA Photographer Luis Ayala
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ith so much attention given to shifting curricula, new technologies for learning, and healthier educational environments, it is a great time to be a student. In response to the diversity of learning styles, schools are beginning to offer a wide array of spatial experiences. The new educational space typology is a high-performance, ultra-flexible collaboration zone that is intended to spark new ideas and advance creative, independent thought. The Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy, the first customdesigned early college high school in Texas built independent of a college campus, should inspire all architects working on educational buildings. A motivated Dallas Independent School District (DISD), in collaboration with the local community and partnering colleges, engaged SHW Group to build the kind of school most people only talk about. Opening its doors for the 2011–12 academic year, the 110,000-sf, 500-student high school is a direct result of thinking — and acting — differently. The jurors recog-
9/10 2013
Texas Architect 71