Shared Values, Shared Expertise

CIS Tarrant County

SHARED VALUES, SHARED EXPERTISE

For VLK Architects, community service has been a priority since the firm’s beginning, more than 35 years ago. In fact, “Service” is one of the three pillars on which VLK’s entire practice stands. Placing value on service is how we meet every client’s unique vision while staying within budget. On a deeper level, however, it also assures that we are truly present in the communities and school districts in which we work and live. One example is our commitment to supporting Communities In Schools (CIS), a national drop-out prevention program serving Greater Tarrant County since 1992. By partnering with school districts, CIS places full-time social workers on school campuses, providing intensive case management services to at-risk students in grades Pre-K through high school. Over the years, VLK has provided vital financial support through sponsorships, physical support through volunteerism, and leadership representation on the CIS Board of Directors. Working together, we have achieved goals that we could not have fulfilled separately. In 2018, we were honored and excited to partner with CIS once again, this time to offer our design services for a new office space and home base for their growing team. Following the design and construction (and an incredible ribbon cutting with the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce), we sat down with Lindsey Garner, President and CEO of CIS, to discuss how our partnership – and their new office – has impacted their staff and, ultimately, the students they serve. Marissa Tang, Interior Designer; Lindsey Garner, President & CEO, Communities in Schools of Greater Tarrant County

Let’s talk about what happens here at the office. Who works here, and what were you looking for in a new space? This central office houses our administrative team, the CEO, our Director of Finance, our development team, our data management team, as well as our master-level supervisors who manage the social workers in the school[s]. We also needed space to accommodate all of our staff, multiple times a year, for trainings or events. The space is also used to host meetings and trainings for our corporate partners. Additionally, we were looking for an opportunity to increase visibility. In 27 years of serving Tarrant County, we have never had external signage on our building. We recognize that this is crucial for awareness and brand recognition. We also wanted a space that provided a higher level of professionalism, one where we would be proud to host donors, board members, and community leaders. How would you summarize CIS’s relationship with VLK? We have a long-standing relationship with VLK, which first began as generous support for our fall fundraising event as well as our annual spring Celebration Luncheon. From our first meetings with the team at VLK, we recognized that there was an alignment of our missions. So, as we were looking for a new space, it became obvious that there was opportunity there to partner. VLK very generously agreed to provide pro bono architectural work to make our new space beautiful. What was the design process like? We met with VLK very early on and went over the layout of the space as it used to be, and they shared with us a vision of what it could be: a space conducive to all of our needs, for individual offices, and for team workspaces, as well as a multipurpose room that would be able to hold our staff trainings. They provided guidance for choosing colors and materials. For many of us, this was a new and fun experience.

CIS relocated to approximately 7,000 square feet of office space within the building at 5601 Bridge Street in Fort Worth in early 2019. VLK’s pro bono services included site verification, space programming, conceptual designs for discussion, and a full set of construction documents. We were able to meet the team’s office needs including both formal and informal meeting spaces, a welcoming reception, and a communal break area that can be opened up to a large multi-purpose room. Although CIS’ most critical work is done outside the main office, Lindsey didn’t hesitate when explaining why a professional space is so important: “[Social work], while rewarding, can be a very demanding and intense job. You are responding to a wide variety of issues. Being part of a workplace that provides a sense of empowerment and professionalism, a place where you can come and feel support from your coworkers, enables our team to get back in the ring and provide our best work for students.”