Integrated design firm wins fourth CAE honor in five years for reimagining century-old Sidney Lanier High School into a modern, light-filled, carbon-sensitive facility that preserves the school's historic links to the community.
SAN ANTONIO, June 18, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- LPA Design Studios received an Education Facility Design Award of Excellence last week from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE) — the industry's highest national honor for education design — for the renovation of Sidney Lanier High School in San Antonio, Texas.
Lanier High School is the fourth LPA project in five years to win the AIA Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE)'s top honor, which annually celebrates the nation's best examples of "state-of-the-art education environments." This year, 15 projects were honored in a black-tie ceremony on June 7 at the National Building Museum, in Washington D.C., during the 2024 AIA Conference on Architecture & Design.
The Lanier design was honored for transforming a windowless, 175,000-square-foot brick-clad box into a bright, open array of learning environments where 100% of spaces have access to natural light and views. Developed through a deep collaboration with educators, parents, alumni and students, the renovated century-old building advances the local culture and learning goals for San Antonio's Westside, a largely Mexican-American community that often felt left behind.
"Lanier was a labor of love for everyone involved," says LPA Director of K-12 Kate Mraw. "This award is shared by everyone who attended a meeting or shared an idea during this process."
The AIA-CAE specifically cited LPA for bringing sustainability to a project type — and budget level — that often doesn't address carbon emission goals. The renovation preserved the "bones" of the aging building, including the concrete structure and the majority of the brick arches of the exterior wall, cutting construction costs and offsetting about 4,000 metric tons of carbon. The introduction of natural light, a heat reflecting roof and efficient systems helped reduce the school's energy operating costs by 60%.
"This is a very successful renovation that maintains the school's culture but adds sustainability," the AIA-CAE jury said. "The team maintained the original building but transformed it into a light-filled space with views."
The design also reflects Lanier's unique connection to Westside and its Hispanic community. Westside and Lanier are home to the development of "mural culture" in San Antonio, which is celebrated throughout the modern facility, including preserved murals, a digital museum and display space for a new generation of artists.
"Lanier High School is a vital part of the San Antonio Westside community; its gateway," says LPA Design Director Federico Cavazos. "We wanted to deliver a facility that would make the people proud and recognize as their own."
Since it opened in 2022, the new facility has raised morale and student outcomes, according to then-Lanier principal Dr. Moises Ortiz.
"This building has been our Wizard of Oz moment – when we have gone from black and white to color," Dr. Ortiz said.
This is the ninth national AIA-CAE award for LPA's education practice.
Media Contact
Daniel Scheuerman, LPA Design Studios, 949.701.4180, [email protected], https://lpadesignstudios.com/
SOURCE LPA Design Studios
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