Holmes High School

Oliver Wendell Holmes High School was built in 1964 with a unique circular design. With its enrollment at more than double the capacity of the original three buildings, the compact, 30-acre site had been filled with additions. While the campus still maintained its circular look, newer rectangular buildings had filled in the remaining available space.

Our challenge was to meet the changing needs of the school occupants while resolving the changing style of the campus. Primarily, the school required a much larger library and classrooms for many different departments. With careful reorganization, we were able to expand the library at its existing location to NISD standards.

Most of the existing buildings were renovated into departmental classrooms. A new 30,000-square-foot building, which houses administration and the language department, as well as dance team and training facilities, was constructed in front of the campus. This new building redirects the primary focus upon entering the campus and creates a clear, distinct point of entry to the administration. While making a physical connection to the existing campus via a covered walkway, this building will also adjoin the different building styles by borrowing elements from each.

Also included in this renovation/addition project is an addition to the Business Careers High School, which is independently operated on the same site. We designed an administration addition and entry feature that will provide a more prominent facade for visiting lecturers and mentoring staff. This will make the BCHS clearly visible from Loop 410 and identifiable to the business community.

Client>Northside Independent School District
Construction Cost>$15.6 Million
Completion>December 2004