EARLY LEARNING PORTFOLIO
Huckabee is part of MOREgroup, a family of architecture, design, and engineering brands that collaborate with passion and purpose to serve communities across the nation.
With MOREgroup, we are proud to focus on spaces that make a profound contribution to a strong social infrastructure where generations thrive. Our brands serve education, healthcare, and public architecture clients to create environments that inspire!
Together, we are more, and we are poised to leave an impact of excellence on the communities we serve. To learn more, visit: wearemore.com.
Huckabee is committed to the success of ALL students and the profound impact it has
on ALL of us.
We are MORE THAN architects. We are a team of experts, each focused on a unique aspect of education, standing beside you as we work toward a common goal: the success of ALL STUDENTS.
OUR FIRM
Huckabee opened our doors in 1967. We exclusively serve education and rank among the top educational architecture firms in the nation. Our expertise ranges from early learning to higher education, the arts, athletics, and spaces where learners of all ages can expand their knowledge.
Our education-focused services complement a holistic, human-centric, and evidence-based approach to design. We’re more than architects, because you need more than a building from your trusted advisors.
Our beliefs are also rooted in the concept of more. We believe the best outcomes happen when we are more connected to the work we do and to the people we serve. For us, more is about going beyond expectation to find meaningful connections and experiences that create greater impact for communities. It is about the power to innovate and the passion to serve. What we do matters, but how we do it matters more. We achieve more by embracing collaboration and innovation as keys to connecting our practices, realizing our vision, and building a lasting legacy.
OUR SERVICES
ARCHITECTURE
CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION
INTERIOR DESIGN
FACILITY ASSESSMENTS
LONG-RANGE PLANNING
MASTER PLANNING
EDUCATIONAL PLANNING
BOND PLANNING
BRANDING, COMMUNICATIONS + PUBLIC RELATIONS
FURNITURE PLANNING
ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHICS, SIGNAGE + WAYFINDING
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN + LEED / CHPS CONSULTING
QUALITY CONTROL
COST ESTIMATING
CODE + LIFE SAFETY
JURISDICTIONAL REVIEW
PROJECT CLOSE-OUT + WARRANTY
POST OCCUPANCY EVALUATION
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
What is Experiential Learning?
Experiential learning is a research-backed approach that emphasizes the role of direct experience in the learning process. It recognizes that students learn best when they are actively engaged in exploration, investigation and problem-solving, rather than simply listening to the teachers read a book or coloring a worksheet about a subject.
Experiential Learning + Facility Design
At Huckabee, we’re passionate about fostering young minds through immersive experiences. Our designs reflect the evolving pedagogy, creating themed learning environments that serve as vibrant hubs for interaction, igniting curiosity and encouraging collaboration. Museum-quality classrooms aren’t just spaces; they’re gateways to exploration. Recognizing educators’ pursuit of cognitive growth, we believe that facility design plays a pivotal role in connecting theoretical concepts with real-world experiences.
A TAILORED APPROACH
We understand that every educational organization is as unique as the children and community it serves. Our collaborative approach empowers us to work closely with you to comprehend your vision. We take pride in customizing solutions that not only meet the needs of your educational facilities, but also encapsulate the essence of your instructional and academic goals.
LEARNING EXPERIENCES
Rich learning experiences occur at the nexus of great environments and a compelling curriculum.
Source: Learning by Design, Nair & Doctori with Elmore, 2020, pg. 15.
RANGE OF INSTRUCTIONAL + DESIGN APPROACHES FOR EARLY LEARNERS
We
take pride in CUSTOMIZING SOLUTIONS that not only meet the needs of your educational facilities, but also encapsulate the essence of YOUR INSTRUCTIONAL AND ACADEMIC GOALS.
TRADITIONAL MODEL
The traditional approach make use of typical classrooms that have been specifically designed to cater to the needs of young children, providing a built environment that is well-suited for them. Classrooms typically bright and inviting, adorned with colorful decorations and educational displays that capture children’s attention and stimulate their curiosity.
TRADITIONAL CLASSROOMS WITH EXPERIENTIAL AREAS
At this level, most of the learning environment follows a traditional classroom layout, focusing on structured academic instruction. However, there are designated experiential areas within the building. These experiential zones may include science corners, art studios, and interactive learning spaces where children can engage in activities that complement the structured curriculum.
COMBO TRADITIONAL AND EXPERIENTIAL CLASSROOMS
These learning environments are thoughtfully crafted to offer a flexible blend of both traditional and experiential approaches. Some classrooms may follow a more structured instructional style, while others create an immersive experience. This dynamic combination ensures that all children have access to a well-rounded and engaging learning experience that caters to their individual needs and learning preferences.
FULLY EXPERIENTIAL
At the peak of experiential learning, early childhood centers embrace a fully experiential approach. The building’s design stimulates exploration, creativity and inquiry with interactive learning spaces, child-led investigations and collaborative projects, creating a living laboratory that fosters curiosity and discovery. This design empowers children to construct knowledge and develop a lifelong love for learning.
Children are born EAGER TO LEARN; they take delight exploring their world and making connections. The degree to which early learning programs SUPPORT CHILDREN’S DELIGHT and wonder in learning reflects the quality of that setting.
Source: NAEYP, Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs, Fourth Edition
TRADITIONAL DESIGN + EXPERIENTIAL AREAS
HOLISTIC
At Huckabee, we believe that great design rests on three tenets: holistic, human-centric and evidence-based. They all work together to give clients a building that is more purposeful, more engaging and more closely tied to their mission, vision and goals.
Holistic design considers the importance of all aspects of a building—from learning, to experience, to operational requirements and more. Each aspect works together to support the primary purpose, and ultimately the success, of an educational facility.
Huckabee’s commitment to education reinforces our holistic approach. Our MORE means exactly that; through a breadth of services, advocacy for public education, community engagement and emphasis on client service, we bring MORE to the process of design. We are your trusted advisors and biggest champions in all aspects of education.
HUMAN CENTRIC
Design must also be human-centric; schools are made whole by the people and communities who use them.
Huckabee not only approaches design through a human-centric lens, but also creates a framework for design that fully engages stakeholders in the creation of their building and experience.
This framework, known as MAKE, establishes a creative “maker space” through a series of charrettes, activities and conversations where your stakeholders guide how your facilities will look, feel and perform.
Through this approach, the humancentric needs, desires, behaviors and emotions of the people your building will serve remain at the forefront to help shape design.
EVIDENCE BASED
Evidence-based design seeks to make decisions by using research and proven outcomes to achieve the best possible solution. This thought process extends to the organization of space and selection of materials, furniture, technology, building systems and more.
Huckabee is invested in research, services and the expertise required to support our evidence-based approach. Our experience is enhanced by industry leadership in committees that set building codes and best practices for architecture and engineering.
We also run the only educational research lab in Texas, LEx Labs at Baylor University, where clients can test-fit a learning environment before putting it into practice. Through LEx Labs, Huckabee has gained insight into the impact elements of the learning environment—such as furniture, technology, choice and flexibility—have on student engagement.
EXPERIENTIAL
CASE STUDY: JANDRUCKO ACADEMY FOR EARLY LEARNERS
According to data from mCLASS, a formative tool that tracks reading progress, the experiential learning environment at Dr. Sarah Jandrucko Academy for Early Learners provides students with exceptional preparation for kindergarten readiness. Measuring student outcomes throughout the 2023-2024 school year, Mansfield ISD found that students at Jandrucko outperformed their peers at traditional pre-kindergarten programs across all of the district’s Title I campuses. Jandrucko students consistently excel, with the most notable gains seen at bilingual campuses. This data highlights the effectiveness of experiential learning, especially for young learners from low-income households or non-English speaking backgrounds, offering evidence-based insight into a replicable educational model. STUDENT PERFORMANCE AT THE BEGINNING OF KINDERGARTEN
OUTCOMES
% OF STUDENTS “ON TARGET” IN PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS AT JANDRUCKO
Circle Pre-K Assessment | 2022-2023
Syllable Onset Rime Alliteration Rhyming
Beginning of Year Middle of Year End of Year
Jandrucko students also demonstrated significant progress in phonological awareness, a crucial component of early literacy that helps children manipulate sounds in words and sentences and predicts future reading success. The Circle Progress Monitoring System by the Children’s Learning Institute (CLI) tracks prekindergarten students’ phonological awareness at the start, middle, and end of the year, measuring foundational skills like syllables, onset-rime, alliteration, and rhyming. Jandrucko students moved from 5-9% proficiency to 80-100% mastery, showing the impact of intentional early education. Jandrucko’s approach— building foundational skills in an engaging, theme-based classroom— proves effective, with mid- and end-of-year targets consistently met or exceeded.
