Dr. Joe J. Bernal Middle School

Located on the edge of the Hill Country, the site selected for Stevens Ranch Middle School was heavily wooded and sloped 50 feet diagonally front to back.  Alamo Architects developed a site strategy that set aside a 4 acre tree preserve and then organized the school garden, courtyard and library around the forest.  A unique z shaped building plan allowed each classroom access to daylight and views and the building was stepped down the hill to meet the sports fields in the back.  Trees found on the site were also used as an organizing element for the way finding within the building with each stair designated by a native tree species. The 190,000 sf school is designed for a population of 1200 students and is being designed to Texas Collaborative High Performance Schools (TxCHPS) sustainability standards.