School News
Corgan Associates, Inc. designing Byron Nelson High School
By media release
Mar 8, 2008

500,000 square-foot facility will open in 2009 with space for 2,200 students

DALLAS  - Corgan Associates, Inc., one of the top U.S.-based architectural and interior design firm has completed the design for the new Northwest ISD Byron Nelson High School in Trophy Club, Texas.  The $86.5 million, 500,000-square-foot project will accommodate ninth and 10^th- grade students the first year and new freshman classes will be added each following year.  By August 2011, Byron Nelson High School could serve up to 2,200 ninth- through 12^th- grade students.  This is Corgan's second project for Northwest ISD.  The firm completed an addition to Medlin Middle School in the school district in 2007.

The new Byron Nelson High School will be the second high school for Northwest ISD and will incorporate an outdoor courtyard with a site-specific orientation and layout, offering scenic views for faculty and students.  The facility will also be separated into areas based on function within the school, enabling the district to lock off or open up specific areas after hours without opening the entire building.

The three-story academic wing will incorporate a ninth-grade area to provide a smooth transition for incoming students, while the rest of the wing will be separated departmentally for the other students.  The academic wing will also house a 700-seat cafeteria which will include a "mall-style" food court serving layout, a library that incorporates a second-story mezzanine providing separate areas within the library for study, research and lecture, as well as a coffee shop similar to the Java City currently located in Northwest High School.

The performing and fine arts area will include an 850-seat auditorium that will share the main entry of the building, allowing the main foyer to serve as gathering space before and after performances.  The performing arts area will also include spaces and amenities for band, choir, drama and orchestra, including separate halls for each department with practice and ensemble rooms for orchestra, choir and band, as well as a black box theatre for the drama department.

The new Byron Nelson High School will also incorporate four gymnasiums, including a competition gymnasium with a seating capacity of 1,400, and additional gyms used for P.E., athletics, drill, dance and cheer.  Students will enjoy the use of two weight rooms and one indoor athletic center as well.  Outdoor athletic facilities will include a track, practice football field with synthetic turf, competition baseball and softball fields, eight regulation tennis courts and four practice fields for other outdoor sports.

"We are proud to offer our community another quality facility where students can learn in a state-of-the-art campus that offers well-planned academic and extracurricular space. We are especially pleased that the design of the school will capitalize on the natural beauty of the Corp or Engineers property," said Dennis McCreary, Northwest ISD's assistant superintendent for facilities, construction, and planning.

Corgan has been designing educational facilities for over 50 years.  From designing elementary schools to universities, the firm has worked with top school districts including Plano ISD, Frisco ISD, Arlington ISD, Dallas ISD, Fort Worth ISD, Texas A&M University, Texas Christian University and Baylor University.

"This is a significant project for Northwest ISD," said Corgan spokesperson, Susan Smith. "We are excited to utilize our extensive educational experience to design a facility that will have a lasting positive impact on the school district."

Construction on Byron Nelson High School began in August 2007 and is expected to conclude in August 2009 in time for the new school year. The construction manager for the project is Charter Builders, LTD.

About Corgan Associates, Inc.

From its founding in 1938, Corgan has grown into one of the largest U.S.-based architectural design firms. Named the firm of the year in 2007 by the Dallas chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Corgan employs over 280 professionals in its offices in Dallas, New York, London, Phoenix, Miami, Sacramento and Beijing. As its design opportunities have expanded from local to international, Corgan has developed special expertise in corporate, aviation, medical, education and critical mission facility design as well as visualization services including animation effects.  For more information visit Corgan on-line at www.Corgan.com.

About Northwest ISD

Northwest Independent School District has 17 separate campuses, spanning three counties (Tarrant, Denton, and Wise) and 14 municipalities. The district experienced a 14 percent growth in student population this year, and the area within the school district boundaries is expected to continue to grow at a rapid pace. By 2027, it is estimated that Northwest ISD will serve more than 93,000 students and require 115 schools. This will be an increase of 80,000 students and 100 schools in just 20 years. The expected growth is a result of several factors: the size of the school district, the density of the housing developments, and the attractive housing, retail, and business industry in the immediate area. NISD encompasses 232 square miles, one of the largest school districts in the area. For more information about Northwest ISD, visit www.nisdtx.org.

© Copyright 2002-2005 by North Texas e-News, llc.